We're Off To See The Wizards
by HarryPotterForLife7
Summary: Ichigo and Co. go to Hogwarts to protect a certian 5th Year, and also to get new techniques for the Gotei 13. The Golden Trio and the others become aquainted and suspicions fly... Set in Current Bleach after Fullbring and OOtP Some IchiRuki
1. Chapter 1 Follow The Yellow Robed Wizard

**Yo'! HPforL7 here! Here's a story that I hope will be better than my others (:This is set in Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix, Year 5, for HP and Current standards for Bleach, so Ichigo got his powers back after the whole 'Full Bring' Fiasco. Lets just ignore the Quincy thing for right now, and the captains positions are be a bit of IchiRuki but not too much, as I suck at Romance.**

**Key:** "..." **The language of the country. So in England, its English, in Japan its Japanese**.

: … : **Hell Butterfly Message**

**"..."** **Zanpakuto Speaking**

**Insert Random Comment About What I Would've Done if I owned HP or Bleach**

Ichigo Kurosaki was currently sitting down to is High School class. So far, there had been no sign of a certain brown haired, loud mouthed, highschooler whose initials were K.A. Ichigo was just relishing this fact, maybe Keigo was sick? when he heard a loud shout of -

"I-CHI-GOOOOOO!"

"Speak of the devil..." he muttered, raising his arm to stop the latter's protests, Ichigo massaged his temples. He had a feeling about today.

Kurosaki was pulled out of his musings as his teacher walked in and yelled at the class (Keigo) to sit in their seats.

* * *

"Okay, repeat after me, "This is a pen."

"The class chorused "This is a pen" back at the teacher.

"Good, how about... "I like to write with a pen."

Ichigo repeated the line as he watched the clock tick away. Only a bit left till class ends. The strawberry looked over at Rukia's old seat, almost wishing to see the midget sitting there, to see-

A butterfly.

A hell butterfly.

Making sure no one was looking at him, Ichigo stretched out his hand and the butterfly fluttered onto his index finger.

:Kurosaki Ichigo. You are to report to Urahara Shoten at 18:00. Bring a small suitcase or backpack with normal clothes and necessities. Bring Inoue Orihime and Ishida Uryu. That is all.:

At that, the message ended. Ichigo glanced over at Orihime,whose bangs where long, covering her hair clip from her brother, looking at the board, her eyes slightly closed and a smile on her face. She looked over at him, as if sensing his gaze, and smiled with open eyes. He smiled back at her, wondering why she was needed by the Gotei 13. At this though, the orange-head watched Ishida, who had one side of his bangs pulled behind his ear. He automatically pushed up his glasses with a finger as they caught the light.

The bell rang, and immediately students jumped out of their seats.

Getting up, Ichigo called, "Ishida! Inoue! I need to talk to you for a minute!"

"Sure, Kurosaki-kun!"

They both caught up to him as they walked out of the building.

"What is it, Kurosaki?"

Quickly, he explained his hell butterfly.

"So will I see you guys tonight?"

Pushing up his glasses(again), Uryu replied positively, as did Orihime.

"I'll see you then Kurosaki-kun!" She called as she waved, turning off onto a different road.

Ichigo opened his mouth to say something when he was interrupted by Uryu.

"I'll be there, Kurosaki."

Who then turned onto his street.

Scowling, Ichigo walked the rest of the way to the clinic, thinking.

Thinking about his regained Shinigami powers.

Thinking about his silent Zanpakuto

Thinking about what he'd tell his family.

Thinking about Rukia.

**"Ichigo, it's getting foggy in here. Please stop thinking so hard.''**

Ichigo stopped abruptly and took a step back. "Zangetsu?" he said could sense the Zanpakuto's smirk.

**''Ichigo?''**

Not responding, a rare grin came upon his face. At least he knew Zangetsu was back, like his month-old Soul Reaper powers.

He shut the door behind him, he called, "I'm home!"

Yuzu popped her head around the corner, her hair up in cute pigtails."Ichi-nii! We're having curry tonight!"

"Can we eat early tonight? I have to go somewhere at six, and I don't want to miss your curry."

"Sure!" She replied happily at her brother's praise.

Ichigo quickly climbed up the stairs, nodding to Karin as he went. He closed the door with a glance at the number 15 taped on.

Plopping down onto the bed, Ichigo stared at the room. Grabbing an unused backpack from the corner, he filled it with clothes and his tooth brush. He heard Yuzu call his name, and he quickly walked down the stairs.

Ichigo pulled out his chair and they all said "Itadakimasu!" The family ate in silence until-

"Look, I got a hell butterfly today."

Yuzu looked up worriedly, while Karin scowled and looked down at the thought of her big brother leaving again.

"That's why I wanted to eat early tonight, I'm going to Urahara's tonight. I have no idea why I'm going though, so if I won't be coming back for a bit I'll call you, okay?"

A few things happened at once: Yuzu's eyes started to water and she went over to hug her brother, Isshin Kurosaki went over to the poster of Masaki and sobbed, "Masaki! Our son is finally becoming a man!", and Karin muttered "not to stay long again" before yelling at her "goat-chinned" father. Ichigo ruffled the twins' hair affectionately before checking the clock.

"Damn, I have to go." he muttered as he got up. "I'll see you later," he smiled to his went upstairs to grab his bag and was on his way out.

* * *

Ichigo Pov

I entered Urahara Shoten with my pack slung over my eyes scanned the room to find Urahara with his fan open over his face; Orihime smiling and talking with Yoruichi (in human form); Uryu sitting there calmly, politely talking to Toshiro; Renji leaning against the wall; Rukia and a girl I recognized as Hinamori Momo from the fifth division talking together; and a man who looked as old as Yamamoto wearing putrid yellow robes.

I did a double take, who wears robes that color?

"Ah, Ichigo, you're the last one here." Urahara said, snapping his fan shut.

"Why'd you call us here hat-and-clogs?" I asked him.

"That is because of me, my boy," the old man stepped up. "I'm the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and I wish to have you all come as students to protect a boy by the name of Harry Potter."

I heard Renji snort as the old man said the name, and I concealed a smirk.

"Witches and wizards?" Orihime piped up.

"Yes, my dear, they do exist." He said with a twinkle in his eye.

"This is Professor Dumbledore, who has agreed to take you as students in order to protect this "Harry Potter" in exchange for us learning from the wand users. Oh, and he and Soutaicho are old friends."

The fan went up again to cover his grin.

Wand users? What? Wizards?

"Of course, if you don't want to go, Kurosaki, Ishida, Inoue, you don't have to come. This might be a good way to get more power- Dumbledore-san, you have great protective spells, right?"

I knew I was being set up for that one, but I took the bait anyways.

"I'm in."

"Ah, thought so."

"I'll go too~! That sounds so cool!" Orihime replied cheerfully.

"I'm coming, that will be interesting to learn."

"And Miss Kuchiki and Miss Hinamori will be coming also."

Suddenly changing into cat form, Yoruichi leaped onto my shoulder and said "Don't forget me, Kisuke."

"Yoruichi?" I asked in surprise. "You're coming?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Well, you are allowed to bring a pet."

"That being said, Shihoin, Kurosaki, Inoue, Ishida, Hinamori, Kuchiki, and Abarai will be going with Dumbledore-san by portkey," Hat -and-clogs said as he pointed to a junky old pen.

"Everyone but Abarai-kun will be going to Hogwarts, he will be stationed nearby in the town of Hogsmeade as a worker at one of the shops. So, shall we start our goodbye's?"

"You're the only one not coming, Kisuke." Yoruichi said jokingly.

"Oh, right! Ne, have a nice time~ and remember to send me samples!"

I swear, sometimes it's too easy to tell that he was once Squad 12's Captain.

We all grabbed our bags as Dumbledore said, "Everyone, grab this pen, five, four, three, two,one-"

I got a sudden yanking feeling in my gut and the world around me was a blur.

Dumbledore said loudly, "Let go- now!"

We all let go, and I spun out of control as my surroundings slowly stopped spinning.

I saw Rukia in a position as if she were running, and I copied her movements.

Suddenly, I was standing on the ground, looking at the collapsed forms of everyone but Ishida, Rukia, Toshiro, Dumbledore, and myself.

I laughed at Renji's position (his legs were pointed straight up in the air while his face was planted on the wooden floor) and helped Orihime up.

"How the hell did you manage to land standing?" Renji asked as he untangled himself.

"I copied Rukia." I said, and immediately glanced over at said person. She stood tall in a gigai with her hair styled differently from when she was living with me, and she looked at me just as I looked at her-Blushing, for some odd reason, I looked away. I sneaked another look at Rukia and saw her cheeks tinged with pink.

"How did you figure that out, midget?" I asked earned me a kick to the shins, good ol' Rukia.

"I just figured it was a good idea, seeing as I saw Dumbledore-san doing the same.

Ishida nodded, and pushed his glasses up. "I quickly altered my position as we were about to land as I figured that if you fell in a random position, you would end up on the ground."

Orihime looked at him with one of those weird faces she can somehow make. "Ishida-kun is so smart!"

Momo looked at Orihime and laughed. "How are you making that face! You have to teach me!"

And then they started talking all girly, so I tuned out their chatter and studied my surroundings.

The first thing I noticed was how dirty this place was. Standing behind the bar was a balding man, who was apparently named Tom by his conversation with Dumbledore. There were long, old, wooden table past the bar, where some people sat, with stool that were putting themselves up.

I nudged Rukia, who was the one closest to me, and said in japanese,

[Ne, look at those chairs!]

She replied, [We're at a place that specializes in magic, remember? Were you listening when Dumbledore-san said witches and wizards, strawberry?]

As much as I loved that Rukia was back, I still didn't like the name strawberry.

[My name isn't-!]

I was cut off as Dumbledore said, "Okay, I'm afraid I have to leave you now, as I have to get back to the school. Here is a map of Diagon Alley,and here are some lists of the supplies you will need. You also have some rooms here, rooms 208, 209, and 210. I will see you September first, in Hogwarts. So, in two days." He said, and with a wave of a wand, and a cracking noise, he was gone.

* * *

Renji walked back towards our group of seven (Yoruichi was left at our rooms in the Inn).

"Well, we're supposed to go out there to get to Diagon Alley right? But there's just a brick wall!"

I heard the old bartender, Tom, chuckle and tell us a certain way we got into the Alley. Being nice, he showed us newcomers, and the bricks came apart so we could go through.

"Thank you, Tom-san." Toshiro said stiffly.

"Aw, lighten up, Toshiro."

"That's Captain Hitsugaya, Kurosaki." He replied, and the air around us chilled a bit.

"Yare Yare." I said in response with a grin.

"Shiro-chan," Momo said. "We aren't going to be able to call you capitan in school..."

Renji looked like he wanted to laugh, and started coughing heavily.

Leveling a glare at the pineapple, Toshiro said, "Fine. Hitsugaya only then."

His green scarf fluttered in the breeze, as did his refined bangs. Toshiro was wearing a teal v-neck with white jeans (Obviously Matsumoto picked out his outfit) which stood out against the dark robes of the wizards. I glanced at my tight fitting black shirt, and everyone elses clothes, and thought that we all stood out, especially me and Toshiro with our hair colors.

"So," I said, taking out a school supplies list. "We need to get some robes, first."

Rukia pointed out a shop over to the right. "Madame Malkins! Look at that dress!"

Uryu shared a look with Orihime, as they were crafts club buddies. "Good make, too."

Of course it is, Miss, I mean Mister dress maker.

**End of the first chapter, with Diagon Alley next. Im trying for at the least 2,000 words per chapter, so the next one will ****be more than ****this (hopefully). PLEASE leave reviews or PM me on what I did wrong and/or spellings and/or ideas. **

**Thanks! HpForL7**


	2. Chapter 2 The Gringotts Gang

**Well, here's another chapter! Me own nothing, and btw, the key will be the same per chapter. PSSSH. I just saw I had 170 hits(When I first started writing this chap, now its 393! ),thanks guys!**

**Key**:

"..." **The language of the country. So in England, its English, in Japan its Japanese**.

: … : **Hell Butterfly Message**

**"..." Thoughts or emphasis "..." Zanpakuto Speaking**

**_"..."_ This is the Inner hollow speaking**

**Ichigo POV**

After leaving the robe shop, our group headed to the other places to grab our school supplies. We stopped at the place where we were supposed to get our 'wands'. We were met with a rush of cold air as the door swung open. I saw the others (but Orihime) slightly tense up. Even I could sense it, there was a larger amount of reiatsu in this small store than outside or in the other shops. They were all coming from multiple sources. Rukia was just about to ring the bell on what looked like a desk, when a wizened old man with hair as white and poofy as Albert Einstein's appeared out of nowhere. I stepped back as he went to examine Ishida, who stood next to me.

"Ah, you are here to purchase a wand, I suppose? You look too old to be first years entering Hogwarts. Well, except you, young man," the wand maker then looked at Toshiro, who then looked extremely ticked off. Renji stifled a laugh, how many times will he have to do that today?

Momo then chose that moment to speak up and reply to the old man before Toshiro could. "We're transfers from Japan, and so we need wands. We'll be entering fifth year, and Shiro-chan will be entering fourth year."

I knew he just wanted to yell "Captain Hitsugaya".

"Well, I am Ollivander, current wandmaker of Ollivander's Wand Shop, maker of fine wands since 382 B.C.(E.)*. I'll get this young man a wand first" Ollivander said, then waving his wand to instruct multiple tape measures to zoom around Uryu. Everyone took a step away, as one of the rulers almost stabbed my eye, and the measures measured almost every part of Ishida's body. Eyelash length, nose length, pinky length, you name it. Finally, a wand was finally shoved into his hand. "Lace wood, 11 inches, Unicorn. Give it a wave!"

Feeling self conscious, he waved the wand. I leaned forward, seeing Inoue doing the same... And nothing. Not even a little spark. We all deflated at the sight of the wand, and Uryu took my signature move as he scowled at us.

"Not to worry, not to worry! It usually isn't the first wand that chooses the wizard. Here, another." While Uryu was having wands shoved into his hands, Rukia skeptically repeated, "the wand that chooses the wizard?"

"Yes, the wand chooses the wizard. The wands have soul in them, from their cores, and they choose whether or not to let the witch or wizard yield them. Aha!" Ollivander exclaimed as a blue and white cross shot out of the tip of the current wand Ishida was holding.

"I thought so, 11 ½ inches, reed wood, manticore hair core. Must be fast, as it adds quickness to the wand." The wizard hummed pleasantly. "How about you next, Miss?"

"Ah, Arigato Ollivander-san." Momo said, smiling.

Thus reappeared the measures, and I had to swat them away more than once. After many tries, a number five in kanji fire appeared from her wand.

"Good, good, 10 ½ inches, Hawthorn, Phoenix tail feather, surprisingly sharp. And you next, Miss!" Orihime stepped up as the process restarted. Kami, are those things annoying.

After about three wands, yellow-orange sparks erupted, and was accompanied by a "12 inches, Vine with a Purple Heart handle, Unicorn, good for healing spells." That suited her perfectly, and she beamed and thanked the old wandmaker.

Up next was the white haired captain, who went through double the wands Orihime did. He finally ended up with a 10 inch wand made of Elder wood ("An extremely powerful wood!") and a dragon heartstring core, with the core from a very old and wise northern dragon. The temperature in the room had gone down several degrees when his wand chose him. Hinamori had nudged "Shiro-chan" at that, who looked satisfied about his wand selection. Who'd be next? Me or Rukia?

Rukia stepped in front of me and into Ollivander's view, and was immediately rushed into the selection of her wand.

Ladies first I guess, I thought as a vein appeared on my forehead.

After the 13th try, same as her division number, Rukia ended up with a pale white wand made of birch wood, a surprising extremely long length of 13 inches, and a pegasus feather as the core. Little snow flakes had started falling when she stumbled upon her wand, and that caused the room to go down several more degrees, Toshiro being no help, of course.

My turn at last, I let the tape measures run up and down my body, with an annoyed scowl on my face.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the corners of Renji's lips go up at my non amused expression. I turned the force of my glare on him, who just laughed right back at me.

A wand was thrust into my hand, and I waved it, but instead of having nothing happen or sparks fly out of the end, a window broke.

Uh, whoops? I got mixed results from everyone, a punch in the arm from Rukia, a big grin from Renji, and a pair of rolled eyes from Toshiro.

"Tsk, tsk, thought not. Here you go, son." Ollivander said. Another stick was now in my hand,a dark one, and I warily gave it a slow wave. A row of wands suddenly flew out of their cubby holes, but with a flick of his wand, Ollivander repaired the window and put the wands back magically.

After some more wands, and some more disastrous results, Ollivander chuckled. "Tricky customer, eh? I'll go get some more!" For some reason, he looked happy at the thought, which had me blinking in confusion.

Toshiro then took the chance to get his word in. "Nice job Kurosaki, run through every wand in the shop."

Before Renji could add his comment, or in my case, submit a protest, Ollivander was back with more wands.

Three wands later, and a frustrated comment from Rukia, one wand finally thought I was it's match. It was a holly wand, which was 12 ½ inches, and had a core of Thestral hair.

That part had made Ollivander almost squeal with happiness. "A thestral hair wand, I haven't even sold one in my time! Neither had my grandfather, mind you. Thestrals are infamous for their closeness to death, as only those who have seen death can see the beasts themselves..."

Oh, Ollivander-san, you do not know how accurate it is that I got this wand. I could feel Zangetsu accept the less powerful soul in the back of my mind, and wondered if the other's zanpaktou's had done the same.

I grabbed the money bag we had gotten from Gringotts, and he told us what to give him for the wand. I watched as he took large gold coins, which I thought was called Galleons. I remembered the Goblins telling me the money meanings, and I groaned inwardly at the memory.

*flashback*

I stepped into the towering building with the rest of my friends, after learning that this was where we had to go to find our spending money. I noticed the other Soul Reapers look a bit wary when we walked in, and I quirked an eyebrow at Toshiro, who just shook his head. I looked to my left, at Orihime and Ishida, and looked a bit past them to see a large plaque on the wall.

I stopped and read aloud.

"Enter, stranger, but take heed Of what awaits the sin of greed, For those who take, but do not earn, Must pay most dearly in their turn. So if you seek beneath our floors A treasure that was never yours, Thief, you have been warned, beware Of finding more than treasure there."

Ishida pushed up his glasses. "Sounds ominous."

Our japanese group approached one of the goblins, and I said, "We would like to get- wait, what was it the Professor told us to say?- we would like to make a withdrawal from vault 665."

I heard a certain small black haired midget mutter, "Maybe he shouldn't have been the one we let up to talk..." I scowled at her in response.

"And where is your key..?" the goblin asked us.

Orihime stood up on her tip-toes so she could see over the podium, and said nice and cheerfully, "Here you go, Goblin-san!" Ignoring Orihime's outburst, the goblin delicately snatched the key out of her fingers.

"Ah, yes, and who will be going? The cart only fits two passengers, not including the guide." It might have been just me, but I thought I saw the goblin send glares at Rukia, Toshiro, and Renji.

"I'll go then." I spoke up before anyone else could. "I'll go alone, since we won't all fit."

"I can fit Kurosa-" Toshiro started hotly, before being interrupted by our goblin.

"That is fine, go to your right. Ragnuk! Please assist, vault 665."

A younger looking goblin stepped up, and said a quick "follow me" before dissapearing behind the corner. I gave a little half wave to my friends, and set off after him. Turning the corner, I saw Ragnuk sitting in a small iron cart on the rail system. Spotting me, he said, "Get in please, and we will go."

Obeying, meanwhile eyeing the rickety rails and cart, I started to ask something when the cart lurched foward. It went about 10 miles per hour for the first minute, and I started to say, "Hey, this isn't too bad-woah!" My ride had suddenly spiked in speed, and I was going faster than a car on a highway.

I looked down to see the long drop down, and heard a calm voice from my head. "Be careful, Ichigo."

'Yea yea, I'll be fine. This is more like a rollercoaster to me."

After a short while, and a lot of twists and turns, we slowed and stopped before a looming vault. It towered over us, made of gold, which glowed in the low light. It had a random assortment of bolts and knobs scattered about, plus a large number 665 in the center. There was no visable way to open the door, only if one knew the right knobs to turn.

'Kami, that's big!' I thought to myself, craning my neck to see to the top of the door.

Ignoring my awed look, Ragnuk pushed and twisted some knobs in a random order, then finally knocking in five different places.

With a groan, almost as if the door did not want to oblige, the mass of gold swung open on it's hinges. Inside were stacks and stacks of large gold coins that looked like the chocolate ones from when Mum used to give them to me, piles of smaller silver coins, and heaps of bronze circles.

"The Shihouin vault." Ragnuk intoned. "The gold ones are Galleons, the silver are Sickles, and the bronze ones are Knuts. There are 17 Sickles in a Galleon, and 29 Knuts in a Sickle, meaning there are 493 knuts to a Galleon."

Figuring the Galleons were worth the most, I scooped up a couple of handfuls of those, doing the same with the silver and bronze. The money pouch I carried now was extremely heavy, as it carried a year's worth of money for seven people.

After grabbing all the money I thought was needed, I backed out of the room, and the door shut behind me. The ride back was quick, and I sat easily in the cart, unlike the other people passing by. Faces were green, and hands were gripping onto the sides. Finally, I got off the contraption and wobbled towards where my friends were.

I held up the sack in triumph. "I think this'll be enough for all of us." I said as I rejoined them.

"Yes, now lets go to that dress shop." Rukia told me impatiently.

*flashback end*

"Arigato, Ollivander-san!" Orihime called cheerfully as we exited the wand shop.

Renji scanned our lists as we walked. "Well, the only thing left to get is a pet, if you guys want one."

Rukia immediately straightened up. "Chappy,Chappy,Chappy..." I muttered, hunching down to look as small as Rukia. Renji laughed, so did Momo, and Orihime, leaving Toshiro and Uryu to be stick in the muds.

I even smirked, until Rukia whacked me with the bag she was carrying. "Hey! Rukia!" "Strawberry!" she called as she entered the pet store.

I stood still in the doorway as I looked into the shoppe. Rats were jumping up high and floating once they got in the air! There wasn't even that much room inside, as every inch of wass was hidden by cages. Magical Menagerie was smelly and noisy, no help from the occupants of the cages, which were all squeaking, squashing, jabbering, or hissing. The lady (assuming she's a witch) was talking to a man about the care of double sided newts!

I quickly resumed my normal facial expression and walked into the store, as I was blocking the entry for the rest of the party.

Inside, I looked around and thought, 'What have we gotten ourselves into?'

It sold all kinds of animals - poisonous orange snails, a giant jewel-encrusted tortoise that glittered next to a window, the same floating sleek black rats that looked intelligent (More so than squad 11), owls, purple toads eating flies loudly, a noisy cage of ravens near the counter,cats of every colour, some custard coloured fur balls that were humming and labeled, Puffskeins, a Transforming Rabbit , which I thought Rukia would enjoy, and more animals that I have no idea what they are.

Rukia immediately ran past me to a collection of rabbits (one of which turned into a silk top hat) at looked up at me with pleading eyes. "Pleeeease, Ichigo, can I get a Chappy?"

I stubbornly looked away from her does eyes and said, "No, we can only get Cats, owls, and ...toads." I made a face at the last one. I saw her face fall, and I kinda felt sad for second... Brushing that feeling away, I turned around to find myself staring straight into the eyes of a large Eagle Owl. I returned its steady gaze and, to my suprise, it hopped on my shoulder with a hoot.

"Hey Ichigo, looks like that bird has a crush on you!"

"Shut up, pineapple! Go find a toad or something."

Being stiff as usual, Toshiro told me, "Kurosaki, you should get that bird. It looks strong enough to travel to Japan, even though we can use hell butterflies, it would be less suspicious to use an owl."

"Thanks for that logic, Toshiro."

"Captain Hitsugaya, Kurosaki."

I tuned him out to pet the bird perched on my shoulder. Hageshii. Strong of will. That's her name. I briefly heard Rukia begging Renji to buy her a rabbit in the background.

"Guys, get a pet or something and lets go, okay?"

Toshiro nodded. "Yes, I think I'll get this cat." He picked up a slick long haired ginger kitten. "Don't turn out lazy like your namesake, Rangiku." I heard him mutter.

Over in the corner, Uryu was examining a tall barn owl and standing next to Inoue, who was fawning over an extremely ugly cat.

I looked at the clock on the wall and called out, "Hey guys! I'm going to pay for my owl then go get some ice cream! Anyone coming?" Flashing a grin at the bickering Rukia and Renji, I laid for Hageshii and walked out.

* * *

*** Before christ/ Before common era**

**Wooh! Another chapter done! Hogwarts (or the train) next for sure! Sorry for the OOCness, bye! Plus, check out the cool new review button! Its wieeeeerd! ~ Hp4life7**


	3. Chapter 3 We Welcome You To Hogwarts

**A/N- Me own nothing.**

**Ichigo POV**

Rukia, Hinamori, Tōshirō, Inoue, Ishida, and Yoriuchi (in cat form) stood between the train platforms nine and ten.

We all were about to take action, but the quincy was the first to speak up.

"Hmm," He pushed up his glasses. " I can sense a large amount of Reishi coming from that wall."

Tōshirō stepped up next to him. "I agree. I beleive this is how we are to enter the platform."

It was my turn to speak, "Uh, guys? What are we supposed to do, walk through the wall?"

Tōshirō was about to tell me off when Orihime went "Okay! I'll do my best Kurosaki-kun!" and walked strait at the wall.

"Wait-Inoue!"

Everyone stopped when they saw her not smash into the wall but disapear into it.

* * *

After reaching the platform (that was through a _wall)_ Rukia checked her (chappy) watch.

"It's 10:58, we still have around thirty two minutes."

"Kuchiki, the train leaves at 11:00"

We paused for a second, then I realized what that meant.

"Guys, that means we only have a minute left..."

Hinamori grabbed Orihime just as the trains whistle blew and got on the train. Following her example Tōshirō entered, with Rukia and Ishida after him. With just me left, I quickly hopped onto the train, doors shutting behind me.

_Close one, _I thought to myself. Scanning the area, I found the cars surounding us full.

Voicing my concerns, Tōshirō said, "I think we'll have to split up, girls together and boys together."

I made a face at him, and he scowled back. "No objections, Kurosaki."

I sighed. "Fine, Tōshirō."

Through clenched teeth he said, "That's Captain Hitsugaya to you, Kurosaki."

I heard a "Bye, Shiro-chan!" and figured it was Momo Hinamori.

A tick mark appeared on the Taicho's head and he turned and walked away from us.

Ishida followed him, and I quickly went to catch up, not wanting to be left behind.

Nearing the end of the train, there was a compartment of four that had the least amount of people in it.

"I will be going into this one, you two go and find another compartment."

Ishida nodded and started moving so I couldn't get my complaints in to Tōshirō as he entered that compartment.

Walking a bit down, we saw a carriage of four, and so I quickly stuck my head in and asked, "Hey, all the other commpartments are full, can we sit here?"

A red haired girl (not like my hair, more red than orange) said "sure" so Uryu and I enterd the compartment.

I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "Sorry, this was one of the compartments that didn't have to many people in it."

The red haired girl nodded. "It's okay, I'm Ginny, and that's Neville," she pointed to a slightly pudgy bron haired teen holding a...toad, "and Luna Lovegood." This time she pointed to a younger looking blonde wearing a cork necklace while reading a magazine upside down.

I glanced at the black haired boy next to her. "I'm Kurosaki Ichigo, he's Ishida Uryu, and what about you?"

The kid looked taken aback, I just asked for his name?

Red head asked, "You don't know who he is?"

I looked startled, "Should I?"

"Obviously, Kurosaki, if she just asked that."

I sent him a glare as the kid said, "No, it's okay, don't make a big fuss over it."

Looking back over at him, he looked releived. "I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

My brow crinkled, trying to remember where I had heard that name before.

"_Baka_," I heard Ishida mutter and I spun to him.

"What was that?"

"I said _baka, _Kurosaki."

My eye twitched but I was interupted by Neville.

"Guess what I got for my birthday?" said Neville.

"Another Remembrall?" said Harry, remembering the marble-like device Neville's grandmother had sent him in an effort to improve his abysmal memory.

_Remembrall?_

"No," said Neville. "I could do with one, though, I lost the old one ages ago… no, look at this…"

He dug the hand that was not keeping a firm grip on Trevor into his schoolbag and after a little bit of rummaging pulled out what appeared to be a small grey cactus in a pot, except that it was covered with what looked like boils rather than spines.

I leaned back slightly at the sight of it. It gave me an uneasy feeling.

"It's a Mimbulus Mimbletonia." He said proudly.

It was pulsating slightly, giving it the rather sinister look of some diseased internal organ.

I saw Harry spare a glance at it, and I couldn't blame him.

"It's really, really rare," said Neville, beaming. "I don't know if there's one in the greenhouse at Hogwarts, even. I can't wait to show it to Professor Sprout. My Great Uncle Algie got it for me in Assyria. I'm going to see if I can breed from it."

Uryu leaned foward. "What can it do?"

Looking happy that someone was interested in it, Neville beamed and replied, "Loads of stuff! It's got an amazing defensive mechanism, Harry, hold Trevor for me.."

The toad, named Trevor I assumed, was dumped into Harry's lap and Neville took a quill from his schoolbag. Luna Lovegood's popping eyes appeared over the top of her upside-down magazine again, to watch what Neville was doing. Neville held the Mimbulus mimbletonia up to his eyes, his tongue between his teeth, chose his spot, and gave the plant a sharp prod with the tip of his quill.

Realizing that something was about to happen, my instincts kicked in and I lept out of the way and onto the floor. I saw Ishida react like me, but simply moving fast to avoid whatever happened next.

Liquid squirted from every boil on the plant; thick, stinking, dark green jets of it. They hit the ceiling, the windows, and spattered Luna Lovegood's magazine; Ginny, who had flung her arms up in front of her face just in time, merely looked as though she was wearing a slimy green hat, but Harry, whose hands had been busy preventing Trevor's escape, received a faceful. I almost laughed at him, but realized quickly that it would not help the situation. I crinkled my nose, the room smelled like rancid manure. Neville was also drenched with the stuff, only Ishida and I were clean.

"S - sorry," he gasped. "I haven't tried that before… didn't realize it would be quite so… don't worry, though, Stinksap's not poisonous," he added nervously, as Harry spat a mouthful on to the floor.

Right as he said that the compartment door slid open and in walked an asain girl with long dark hair.

"Oh… hello, Harry," said a nervous voice. "Um… bad time?"

Harry wiped the lenses of his glasses with his Trevor-free hand.

"Oh, hi..." Harry said blankly, his cheeks turning red.

"Um…" said Cho. "Well… just thought I'd say hello… bye then."

Rather pink in the face, she closed the door and departed. Harry slumped back in his seat and groaned.

"Never mind," said Ginny bracingly. "Look, we can easily get rid of all this." She pulled out her wand. "Scourgify!"

The Stinksap vanished.

"Sorry," said Neville again, in a small voice.

I stared at Ginny's wand. I wasn't good with the simplest of spells, but I think I could use that one next time I tried. If Yuzu had a wand, she'd like to use that spell alot.

"Ah, it's okay." Harry responded, and turned his head towards the window.

A bit later the food trolley came by, and Harry bought a mass amount of it. By the time we had finished something called a 'pumpkin pasty', the compartment opened up to another red head (this time a guy) and a bushy haired girl, each carrying an animal.

"I'm starving," said the newer red head, stowing his midget of an owl next to Harry's snowy owl, grabbing a Chocolate Frog from Harry and throwing himself into the seat next to him. He ripped open the wrapper, bit off the frog's head and leaned back with his eyes closed as though he had had a very exhausting morning.

He obviously didnt notice Ishida or I, he was content on his food.

The girl on the other hand said, "Who're you?"

"Where we come from, it is polite to introduce yourself first and then the other says their name." Uryu said stiffly.

She bristled slightly, then apologized. "I'm Hermione Granger, and he's Ronald Weasley."

"Kurosaki Ichigo," I said, nodding my head instead of bowing. "And that's Ishida Uryu." He pushed up his glasses in response.

She then turned her inquisitory look upon me. "You're too young to be first years, and I've never seen you before."

This time Uryu replied. "We're fifth years, transfers from Japan."

Suddenly, the door of the compartment opened a bit as a black cat slinked through.

"Yoruichi!" I exlaimed. "Where've you been?"

Yoruichi gave me a unoticed wink, and leaped up onto my seat. Ishida spared her a glance, which she returned.

"From Japan?" Hermione asked, studying the cat closely.

"Jeez, 'Mione, get off their backs. Drop the subject." Ronald said as he closed his eyes again.

"Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each house," said Hermione, looking thoroughly disgruntled as she took her seat. "Boy and girl from each."

"And guess who's a Slytherin prefect?" said Red Head # 2, still with his eyes closed.

"Malfoy," replied Harry at once, certain his worst fear would be confirmed.

"Course," said Ronald bitterly, stuffing the rest of the Frog into his mouth and taking another.

"And that complete cow Pansy Parkinson," said Hermione viciously. "How she got to be a prefect when she's thicker than a concussed troll…"

I simply blinked, having no idea who these people were, nor the terms they were using.

"Who's Hufflepuff?" Harry asked.

"Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott," said Ronald thickly.

_What the hell is a Hufflepuff?_

"And Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw," said Hermione.

"You went to the Yule Ball with Padma Patil," said a vague voice I recognized as the ditzy blonde.

Everyone turned to look at Luna Lovegood, who was gazing unblinkingly at Ron over the top of The Quibbler. He swallowed his mouthful of Frog.

"Yeah, I know I did," he said, looking mildly surprised.

"She didn't enjoy it very much," Luna informed him. "She doesn't think you treated her very well, because you wouldn't dance with her. I don't think I'd have minded," she added thoughtfully, "I don't like dancing very much."

She retreated behind The Quibbler again. Ronald stared at the cover with his mouth hanging open for a few seconds, then looked around at Ginny for some kind of explanation, but Ginny had stuffed her knuckles in her mouth to stop herself giggling. Ronald shook his head, bemused, then checked his watch.

"We're supposed to patrol the corridors every so often," he told Harry and Neville, "and we can give out punishments if people are misbehaving. I can't wait to get Crabbe and Goyle for something."

"You're not supposed to abuse your position, Ron!" said Hermione sharply.

"Yeah, right, because Malfoy won't abuse it at all," said Ron (not Ronald, apparenly) sarcastically.

I leaned back as I listened to them talk, not wanting to get involved. I noticed Ishida staring out the window.

"So you're going to descend to his level?"

"No, I'm just going to make sure I get his mates before he gets mine."

"For heaven's sake, Ron -"

"I'll make Goyle do lines, it'll kill him, he hates writing," said Ron happily. He lowered his voice to Goyle's low grunt and, screwing up his face in a look of pained concentration, mimed writing in midair. "I… must… not… look… like… a… baboon's… backside."

Even if I didn't know this kid, he sounded like an idiot, so I smirked.

Everyone laughed (besides Ishida and me) , but nobody laughed harder than Luna Lovegood. She let out a scream of mirth that caused Harry's owl to wake up and flap her wings indignantly and the ginger cat to leap up into the luggage rack, hissing. Luna laughed so hard her magazine slipped out of her grasp, slid down her legs and on to the floor.

"That was funny!"

Her prominent eyes swam with tears as she gasped for breath, staring at Ron. Utterly nonplussed, he looked around at the others, who were now laughing at the expression on Ron's face and at the ludicrously prolonged laughter of Luna Lovegood, who was rocking backwards and forwards, clutching her sides.

"Are you taking the mickey?" said Ron, frowning at her.

"Baboon's… backside!" she choked, holding her ribs.

Everyone else was watching Luna laughing, but Harry glancing at the magazine on the floor, noticed something that made him dive for it. Upside-down it had been hard to tell what the picture on the front was, but Harry now realized it was a fairly bad cartoon of some fat man wearing a lime-green bowler hat. One of his hands was clenched around a bag of gold; the other hand was throttling a goblin. The cartoon was captioned: How Far Will Fudge Go to Gain Gringotts?

Uninterseted I looked away as he asked Luna if he could look at her magazine. She happily obliged and handed it over to him.

"Anything good in there?" asked Ron as Harry closed the magazine.

"Of course not," said Hermione scathingly, before Harry could answer. "The Quibbler's rubbish, everyone knows that."

"Excuse me," said Luna; her voice had suddenly lost its dreamy quality. "My father's the editor."

I winced, that hadn't been Hermione's bestt word choice.

"I - oh," said Hermione, looking embarrassed. "Well, it's got some interesting… I mean, it's quite…"

"I'll have it back, thank you," said Luna coldly, and leaning forwards she snatched it out of Harry's hands. Riffling through it to page fifty-seven, she turned it resolutely upside-down again and disappeared behind it, just as the compartment door opened for the third time.

I scowled in the direction of the door to see a stuck up looking blonde boy flocked by two lackeys enter. The leader smirked in Harry's direction, and shared a look with the two next to him.

"What?" Harry said aggressively, before the other could open his mouth.

"Manners, Potter, or I'll have to give you a detention," drawled the boy, whose sleek blond hair and pointed chin were his most noticable features. "You see, I, unlike you, have been made a prefect, which means that I, unlike you, have the power to hand out punishments."

"Yeah," said Harry, "but you, unlike me, are a git, so get out and leave us alone."

Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville laughed, as I smirked. The boy's lip curled.

"Tell me, how does it feel being second-best to Weasley, Potter?" he asked.

"Shut up, Malfoy," said Hermione sharply.

"I seem to have touched a nerve," said Malfoy, smirking. "Well, just watch yourself, Potter, because I'll be dogging your footsteps in case you step out of line."

Harry paled slightly, and I couldn't take any more of this kid's "holier than thou" attitude. It reminded me to much of Byakuya. I stood up and faced Malfoy.

"Oi, why don't you leave, you little priss."

I heard a few people choke on air behind me.

"Excuse me?" Malfoy drawled, taken aback. "What do we have here, another Weasley?" He snorted and turned to Ron. "How can you afford it, Weasel?"

Ron's nostrils flared and he went to make a move but I sent him a look. The red head sat back down.

"I have no idea why I'm a so called "Weasley", as this is my first time in Britain, so I would shut up." I turned my glare/scowl on him and he took a step back.

"Get out, Malfoy!" said Hermione, standing up.

Sniggering, Malfoy gave Harry a last malicious look and departed, with Crabbe and Goyle lumbering along in his wake. Hermione slammed the compartment door behind them and turned to look at Harry.

They shared a look, making me curious. Was it something Byakuya Mini had said?

"Chuck us another Frog," said Ron, who had clearly noticed nothing.

Harry shared another nervous look with Hermione as returned to staring out the window.

Ishida and I shared a look and Yoruichi jumped up onto my shoulders.

The weather remained undecided as they traveled further and further north. Rain spattered the windows in a half-hearted way, then the sun put in a feeble appearance before clouds drifted over it once more. When darkness fell and lamps came on inside the carriages, Luna rolled up The Quibbler, put it carefully away in her bag and took to staring at everyone in the compartment instead. Her eyes stayed on us longer, startling me. Was she supicous?

Harry was sitting with his forehead pressed against the train window, trying to find something, but it was a moonless night and the rain-streaked window was grimy.

"We'd better change," said Hermione at last, and all of them opened their trunks with difficulty and pulled on their school robes. She and Ron pinned their badges carefully to their chests. Harry saw Ron checking his reflection in the black window.

Being a bit uncomfortable in the silence, I asked, "What's a Slytherin? Or a Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw for that matter?"

Uryu pushed up his glasses. "Yes, I was wondering the same thing."

"What?" Ron exclaimed, opening his eyes. "You don't know about the houses?"

"Of course not, Ronald." Hermione scolded. "They transfered from Japan."

Casting a blind eye on Ron she turned to Uryu and I and started explaining in a matter-of-fact tone. "Well, there are four houses; Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. You are sorted into a house in first year, and you stay in that house for the next 7 years of Hogwarts. You are sorted into your house by characteristicts; wit and intelligence, creativity, learning, etc. For Hufflepuff one must be hard working, patient, just, and loyal. For Gryffindor, which is what Harry, Ginny, Ron, and I are in; you have nerve, are brave, follow chivalry,and daring. Last is Slytherin, who value ambition, cunning, leadership, and resourcefulness."

Ron cut into her speech, "And their evil gits. Malfoy was one."

Hermione looked at him, "Not all of them are, Ronald."

I heard Harry sigh and saw him shaking his head with a slight smile on his face. This must happen often apparently.

"Okay okay," I said, giving a hand a wave. "Forget I asked."

At last, the train began to slow down and they heard the usual racket up and down it as everybody scrambled to get their luggage and pets assembled, ready to get off. As Ron and Hermione were supposed to supervise all this, they disappeared from the carriage again, leaving us and the others to look after the ginger _neko_ and midget owl.

Luna offered to take the smaller owl, and Harry agreed. I got up and followed the gang out of the compartment, trying to spy Hinamori, Rukia, Tōshirō, or Orihime. I didn't spot them, and I exited the train to hear a brisk female voice call, "First years line up over here, please! All first-years to me!"

The speaker was carrying a large lantern, and I noticed Harry go up to redhead # 1 and ask about "Had Grids."

Blinking off my confusion, wierd british people, I followed the group to large carriages being pulled by huge bony (winged) horses. Harry stopped short beside me and did a double take.

"You alright, Harry?" I asked him.

"Y-yeah." He said, destracted.

"Where's Pig?" said Ron's voice, right behind Harry.

"That Luna girl was carrying him," said Harry, turning quickly, eager to consult Ron. "Where d'you reckon -"

"- Hagrid is? I dunno," said Ron, sounding worried. "He'd better be okay…"

A short distance away, Draco Malfoy, followed by a small gang of cronies, was pushing some timid-looking second-years out of the way so that he and his friends could get a coach to themselves.

I scowled in the vague direction, knowing he wouldn't be able to see me.

Seconds later, Hermione emerged panting from the crowd.

"Malfoy was being absolutely foul to a first-year back there. I swear I'm going to report him, he's only had his badge three minutes and he's using it to bully people worse than ever… where's Crookshanks?"

"Ginny's got him," said Harry. "There she is…"

Ginny had just emerged from the crowd, clutching a squirming Crookshanks.

"Thanks," said Hermione, relieving Ginny of the cat. "Come on, let's get a carriage together before they all fill up…"

"I haven't got Pig yet!" Ron said, but Hermione was already heading off towards the nearest unoccupied coach. Harry remained behind with Ron.

"What are those things, d'you reckon?" he asked Ron, nodding at the horrible horses as the other students surged past them.

"What things?"

"Those horse -"

Luna appeared holding Pigwidgeon's cage in her arms; the tiny owl was twittering excitedly as usual.

"Here you are," she said. "He's a sweet little owl, isn't he?"

"Er… yeah… he's all right," said Ron gruffly. "Well, come on then, let's get in… what were you saying, Harry?"

"I was saying, what are those horse things?" Harry said, as he, Ron and Luna made for the carriage in which Hermione and Ginny were already sitting.

"What horse things?"

"The horse things pulling the carriages!" said Harry impatiently. They were, after all, about three feet from the nearest one; it was watching them with empty white eyes. Ron, however, gave Harry a perplexed look.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about - look!"

Harry grabbed Ron's arm and wheeled him about so that he was face to face with the winged horse. Ron stared straight at it for a second, then looked back at Harry.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"At the - there, between the shafts! Harnessed to the coach! It's right there in front"

But as Ron continued to look bemused, a strange thought occurred to Harry.

"Can't… can't you see them?"

"See what?"

"Can't you see what's pulling the carriages?"

Ron looked seriously alarmed now.

"Are you feeling all right, Harry?"

"I… yeah…"

I looked at Ron, puzzled. "You can't see those horse-things?"

Uryu tilted his head. "They have a strange reatsu around them..."

Harry whirled towards us. "You can see them too?"

I took a step back and scowled. "Of course, I just said that, didn't I?"

Suddenly, a horse trotted closer to me and shoved its nose into my hand.

"Er..." I sweat dropped.

Harry was about to say something to me when a dreamy voice called, "It's all 're not going mad or anything. I can see them, too."

We entered the carriage, Ron looking extremely confused, and seconds later the vehicle jerked foward through the muddy ground.

* * *

**A/N: Yosh! Finished chapter with 4,342 words! I'm hoping to make these chapters as long as the HP ones. Nyways, ATTENTION. IMPORTANT.**

**IF YOU HAVE NOT HEARD, FF IS GOING TO BE SHUT DOWN. PLEASE GO TO THE WEBSITE (Can't link on fanfiction) TO SIGN THE PETITION AGAINST TAKING FANFICTION DOWN. PLEASE, DO SO.**

**~Hp4life7**


	4. Chapter 4 The Sorting and Memories

**A/N**-** Me own Nothing.**

**Ichigo POV**

Rattling and swaying, the carriages moved in a caravan up the road. When they passed between the tall stone pillars topped with winged boars on either side of the gates to the school grounds, Harry leaned forwards to try and see something, so I looked out in the direction he was. The grounds were in complete darkness. Hogwarts Castle, however, loomed ever closer: a towering mass of turrets, jet black against the dark sky, here and there a window blazing fiery bright above them. It looked pretty cool, I had to admit.

Hermione gave me a look. "That isn't a very good reaction."

I blinked, "Uh...why?"

She rolled her eyes. "You and Ishida barely had any expression when seeing Hogwarts for the first time!"

I in turn glanced over at Ishida's bored face.

"That is because we've seen much more than just that castle," Uryu replied.

It was the always-hungry redhead's time to speak now. "What? How can you be that bored by _Hogwarts?"_

"I infact jumped up and down and bumped around some Wrackspurts when I first saw the castle. The Humblingdings in the water almost attacked me, I had so much exitement!" Luna's dreamy voice came through the dark carriage.

At that Ron made a wierd noise and shut up.

The carriages jingled to a halt near the stone steps leading up to the oak front doors and Harry got out of the carriage first, with the rest of the carriage following. Me and Uryu got out last, well actually it was Ishida who walked out behind me.

I stopped to stare once more at the large skeletal horses that were kinda creeping me out. Noticing my discomfort, Uryu said, "Obviously they're normal if no one else is gawking at them Kurosaki."

I shot him a glare and retorted, "Yea? Then why's Harry fawning over them?"

At the mention of his name Harry looked over, as did his friends.

"Fawning over what?" Hermione asked indignantly.

"Those wierd horse-bat-things pulling the carriages?"

Potter looked like he wanted to say something but didn't, so did Bushy, but she was interupted.

"Are you coming or what?" Weasley said.

"Oh… yeah," said Harry quickly and they joined the crowd hurrying up the stone steps into the castle.

After climbing the stairs we entered a large room fit for the over-the-top castle. The Entrance Hall was ablaze with torches and echoing with footsteps as the students crossed the flagged stone floor for the double doors to the right, leading to the Great Hall and the start-of-term feast.

The large doors swung open to reveal four long tables, plus another at the front for staff. The room was a sea of black with flashes of blue, yellow, green, and red every so often. The four long house tables in the Great Hall were filling up under the starless black ceiling, which was just like the sky that could be glimpsed through high windows. Candles floated in midair all along the tables, illuminating the figures in the room, but I kept on seeing some silvery figures floating around...

I noticed Harry seething quietly so I turned to him, but instead of talking to him I got a facefull of whispers and pointings from others. I figured they were for the scarred black haired kid, so I just sent him a look and faced towards the head table.

"He's not there."

"He can't have left."

"Of course he hasn't."

"You don't think he's… hurt, or anything, do you?"

"No."

"But where is he, then?"

A pause.

"Yeah… yeah, that'll be it."

Suddenly, a stiff looking green-robed witch came up to me and Ishida.

"Mr. Kurosaki, Mr. Ishida, please go and stand over there with the first years," she said, inclining her head in the direction of a small group of tiny students.

I gave a little half wave to Potter's harem and walked up to the small kids. I looked like a giant, as I was the tallest one in the group.

"Kurosaki, Ishida, I assume you found apt seating during transport?" a voice said coldy.

"Yes, we did, we were able to sit with the Potter boy and his group," Ishida said before I could.

Tōshirō nodded and motioned to the others. Hinamori was standing with Rukia and Orihime, two of which were squeeling happily together and the other smiling. I understood Rukia doesn't have that many girl friends, but shouldn't she be acting the same as them?

I cocked my head in the midget's direction and got a full out Rukia glare, sending the message _"I will kick you, Strawberry, don't say_ anything." I warily raised my hands in surrender and she turned away.

Looking at the front of the room I saw the lady from before place a stool down and a... hat? Without warning, a seam in the crumpled hat ripped open and...the hat started to sing?

I simply stared at it with a confused expression, noting how the rest of the room didn't think a singing hat was odd.

**In times of old when I was new,**

**And Hogwarts barely started,**

**The founders of our noble school,**

**Thought never to be parted,**

**United by a common goal,**

**They had the selfsame yearning,**

**To make the world's best magic school,**

**And pass along their learning.**

"**Together we will build and teach!"**

**The four good friends decided,**

**And never did they dream,**

**That they might some day be divided,**

**For were there such friends anywhere,**

**As Slytherin and Gryffindor?**

**Unless it was the second pair**

**Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?**

**So how could it have gone so wrong?**

**How could such friendships fail?**

**Why, I was there and so can tell,**

**The whole sad, sorry tale.**

**Said Slytherin, "We'll teach just those whose**

**Ancestry is purest."**

**Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose**

**Intelligence is surest."**

**Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those**

**With brave deeds to their name."**

**Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot,**

**And treat them just the same."**

**These differences caused little strife,**

**When first they came to light,**

**For each of the four founders had**

**A house in which they might**

**Take only those they wanted,**

**So, for instance, Slytherin**

**Took only pure-blood wizards**

**Of great cunning, just like him,**

**And only those of sharpest mind**

**Were taught by Ravenclaw**

**While the bravest and the boldest**

**Went to daring Gryffindor.**

**Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,**

**And taught them all she knew,**

**Thus the houses and their founders**

**Retained friendships firm and true.**

**So Hogwarts worked in harmony**

**For several happy years,**

**But then discord crept among us**

**Feeding on our faults and fears.**

**The houses that, like pillars four,**

**Had once held up our school,**

**Now turned upon each other and,**

**Divided, sought to rule.**

**And for a while it seemed the school**

**Must meet an early end,**

**What with dueling and with fighting**

**And the clash of friend on friend**

**And at last there came a morning**

**When old Slytherin departed**

**And though the fighting then died out**

**He left us quite downhearted.**

**And never since the founders four**

**Were whittled down to three**

**Have the houses been united**

**As they once were meant to be.**

**And now the Sorting Hat is here**

**And you all know the score:**

**I sort you into houses**

**Because that is what I'm for,**

**But this year I'll go further,**

**Listen closely to my song:**

**Though condemned I am to split you**

**Still I worry that it's wrong,**

**Though I must fulfill my duty**

**And must quarter every year**

**Still I wonder whether Sorting**

**May not bring the end I fear.**

**Oh, know the perils, read the signs,**

**The warning history shows,**

**For our Hogwarts is in danger**

**From external, deadly foes**

**And we must unite inside her**

**Or we'll crumble from within**

**I have told you, I have warned you…**

**Let the Sorting now begin.**

The Hat became motionless once more; applause broke out, though it was punctured with muttering and whispers. The students seemed worried about something, was it what the hat said? Wasn't this hat singing a usual thing?

I saw Tōshirō and Uryu exchange knowing glances, as well as Rukia and Hinamori sharing knowing looks.

"What?" I whispered. "Why are you guys all looking at each other like that?"

I got multiple looks and a "shush!" (Orihime) as the teacher started to speak.

"When I call your name, come up and I will place the hat on your head to be sorted."

Nervouse murmerings broke through the silent first years, and I just looked bored with the whole thing. Yuzu said I was "Cool and Spicy" when I acted like that, I think?

"Abercrombie, Euan."

To my suprise, after the kid sat down with the hat over his head, the sorting hat screamed, "GRYFFINDOR!" out.

Apparently it can talk too.

I noticed Harry's table clapping, and I thought to myself, "That's the Gryffindor table, for the brave, right?"

The last midget, "Zeller, Rose" was called, and Dumbledore-san stood up at the head table.

"To our newcomers," said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, "welcome! To our old hands - welcome back! Hogwarts is very privalaged to host six new exchange students from Shinō Acedemy in Japan. They will now be sorted by our very own sorting hat! Proffesor McGonagall, if you will."

The newly dubbed Proffesor McGonagall pulled out another (shorter) list and called " Hinamori, Momo."

Hinamori walked up to the seat, looking slightly nervous, and had the hat put on her head. Her posture relaxed, her gaze grew dull and her arms and legs hung limply by her side.

Almost immediatly the Captain of the group started up, but I grabbed his shoulders and said, "It's fine, she's just in her inner world."

Tōshirō relaxed slightly, almost reasured, most likely thinking that her zanpaktō would protect her.

Moments later her body regained feeling and the hat screamed "HUFFLEPUFF!"

I remembered that Hufflepuff was where the loyal and friendly were, and figured she would fit right in (her being so devasted and close with Aizen and all).

Hinamori happily hopped off the stool and ran over to the cheering black and yellow house. Tōshirō's eyes followed her everymove and only left her when his name was called.

"Hitsugaya, Tōshirō."

Said person strode up to the hat and sat, body going slack like the previous occupant.

In a few moments the hat shouted, "RAVENCLAW!" to the school. So Momo was in the friendly house and Tōshirō was in the smart people house.

"Inoue, Orihime."

Orihime skipped up to the stool, murmered something I'm pretty sure was "Hello hat-san!" and commnced swinging her legs. I'm pretty sure that the hat didn't go into her inner world, but I'm sure that they had a conversation.

"Really, Hat-san?"

"Hmm, I guess so Hat-san."

"Okay! Thank you Hat-san!"

After some exchanges, the hat shouted out, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Hinamori waved Orihime over after 'Hime bowed to the hat and skipped over to the yellow house.

"Ishida, Uryu."

Leaning over to Rukia, the remaning person, I muttered, "Bet you he's gonna be in Ravenclaw."

Rukia calculated the odds, then whispered back, "No way am I going to bet against that, Strawberry."

Grinning, I heard a shout of "RAVENCLAW!" and then the gray-haired witch called out again.

"Kuchiki, Rukia."

I gave her a small smile, which she returned, body becoming limp after she put the hat on. Why was I feeling a bit worried? I know her icy companion would protect her. Still, I sent a (slightly worried) glance at the small black bob.

Being pulled out of my musings, I saw the brown fabric yell out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Knowing that that was a good house, I breathed a sigh of relief and heard my name called from McGonagall-Sensei.

"Kurosaki, Ichigo."

Walking down the middle of the hall I plopped down (ignoring the whisperings of "He's kinda cute!") and had the hat dropped over my head. I could tell that my bodly was loosing feeling, my eyes closing, when I plunged into blue, and came out on a skyscraper in my inner world.

Looking around at the tall building and my hometown, I walked over to the closest figure on the building.

"Zangetsu?" I called, knowing the figure wasn't him.

**"Right behind you, Ichigo."**

Feeling slightly reasured, I walked up to the figure and said, "You're the sorting hat, right?"

The 'hat' turned around, and I realized he didn't look like the crumpled old hat anymore.

Standing before me was a tall man, about 20, with shaggy mousy brown hair that fell down in layers below his ears. His skin was lighter, a light olivey-tan shade, with numerous freckles all around. Large doe brown eyes stared a hole into me and his pink lips curved up into a smile. Hat-san's closing were baggy and a deeper brown, with a leather material that I figured was the same as the hat I was currently wearing in the real world. Plain brown loafers crossed the blue roof and stopped in front of me.

"Oh!" he said, obviously pleased. "Another one who can actually go into the inner world with me! It makes me quite happy to know that I can be seen. I assume you are also a Soul Reaper?"

Zangetsu swiflty moved beside me, making his presense known to the hat.

"Yea, Hat-san, well, a substitute-shinigami-vizard-human-hybrid-thing." I rolled my eyes.

"And I see you have a zanpaktō as well!" He was reminding me more and more of the old wizard Ollivander at wandshop.

"Yea, Hat-san."

"Call me Fredrick, that's the name Godric gave me."

"Okay...Fredrick-san."

Putting a finger on his chin, Fredrick said to me, "I'm going to have to look though some of your memories-"

"Huh?" I exclaimed, sending a startled glance at the hat. I did not want him to see my gory memories of the winter war...

**"Excuse me,"** Old man Zangetsu stepped up.** "We would prefer you would not do that, as some may be a bit...graphic and also might bring a new person up."**

_A new person? Wait..._I froze. "You don't mean-"

Zangetsu inclined his head in my direction.

I clenched my fists, thinking about having _him_ in my head as well as being able to control me at certain times...

"I'm sorry, sir, but I have to look. I'm used to it by now, as I've seen Mr. Kurosaki's friends memories, and so I beleive this will be all right. You may get some scenes you remember though, that may happen and some might pop up..."

Suddenly, I felt myself falling and I fell backwards into the arms of Zangetsu.

* * *

I was seven and crying in front of the old dojo, with a small but spiky haired Tatsuki standing next to me.

"Man up, Ichigo! You'll beat me next time!"

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over me and I saw the smiling face of my mother.

"Come on, Ichigo, let's go home. Daddy's waiting for us so we can start dinner."

Wiping off the tears and plastering a goofy grin across my face, I started, "Okay!" and grabbed the elder's hand.

We walked off into the sunset past Tatsuki, who was shaking her head smiling...

"When he's with her..."

Suddenly the scene changed.

I was with two small girls,who I recognized as Yuzu and Karin, and Yuzu was talking to the woman in the kitchen.

"Mommy...can I help?"

I saw Masaki Kurosaki smile and say, "Sure, we're making curry tonight."

"Curry?" I heard a male shout. "I love your curry honey!"

Dad leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "But then again, with Yuzu helping you tonight, I think I'm going to be head-over-heels in love with it!"

Karin gave him a small kick in the shins that obviously didn't hurt the older man and grabbed his hand. "I'll make you something soon, then we'll eat it together!"

Giving her his signature aloof smile, Isshin Kurosaki exclaimed, "I bet that'll be yummy too!" and picked up the small black haired kid.

I laughed and helped my mother chop up some food along with the rest of the family

I was small, but older the in the next memory.

My mother and I were walking down the road leading away from my dojo, and the small me waved at a black and white blur in the distance. Turning onto another path, we faced the orange painted river. I happily walked along the sidewalk, swinging the hand that was held with my mother. She was on the street side and I was closer to the river. Suddenly, a storm cloud came out of nowhere and rain poured down.

"Oh no! At least we don't have too far to walk! I should've brought and umbrella..."

"It's okay! I''ll be your number one protecter and protect you from the nasty rain!" I shivered slightly with the chill of the water.

"Well, we need to hurry or else one of us will catch a cold!"

"Hai hai!"

My mother held me closer in an attempt to keep me warm, long brown hair brushing my face.

I looked over at the now gray river, and spotted a young girl standing at the riverbed.

"Oh no! That girl will drown! I'll be right back!" I called to my mother, not seeing her stricken face.

"Wait-Ichigo-"

I raced down the hill, past the grass and sidewalks till I was at the river's edge.

"Hey, you! Get away from there! You'll get hurt!" I scooched a bit closer. "Here, take my hand!"

I didn't see the young girl's face twist into a wicked grin since I was tackled by my mother, her hair covering my eyes.

"Ichigo I-"

Her words were cut off with a sickening slicing sound, and I called out tentavly to her.

"...Mom?"

No response.

"Mom?"

Just the sound the rain and something thicker dripping.

"Mom!"

Getting up I scrambled off the ground and out from under the growing cold body of my mother. The girl who was going to drown was nowhere to be seen, the only thing there was the corpse of my mother, her jacket soaked with red, her face expressionless.

"Mom! Mom!"

I called her name over and over, rushing from my spot and towards her, meeting her blank lifeless eyes, her last words etched on her lips. More blood started to flow from her head and down her tan skin, hair going from the light brown to darker, then a deep red.

"MOM!"

* * *

Unknown to Ichigo Kurosaki, tears were leaking from his eyes and dropping onto the stool and the hard floor of the Great Hall. A whisper, only heard by some, was the only he spoke.

"Mom."

* * *

The scene changed again, and I was older, high school age. I felt a sense of fimiliarity wash over me as I realized who I would be with this time.  
I followed a black butterfly up to my room, and I sighed at my goat-chinned father's antics and sat down.

Suddenly a small and lean figure walked through the _wall_ and landed neatly on the floor of my room.

"It is near..." she said quietly.

"It is near..." my ass, retard!" I shouted, kicking her down with my shoeless feet, angry tick marks appearing on my head. "You're a pretty confident burglar, eh? By 'it is near...!' do you mean that like the safe is near or something?"

The girl (who I in the present knew to be Rukia) looked extremely confused. "Y-you can see me? I mean to say, did you just kick..."

"Huh?" I asked, unamused. "What the heck are you talking about? Of course I can see..."

Suddenly my father burst into my room and slammed into me. "Be quiet Ichigo! Don't make a ruckus on the 2nd floor!"

"You be quiet!" I shouted back, sending him flying. "How can I not make a ruckus!"

"Nice punch-" he got in as I sent him towards the door.

"Look at this guy! What the heck is going on with the security system in this house?"

"Hmm? What do you mean look... look at what?"

"I'm talking about this samurai-costumed..." I said, becoming more annoyed per second.

"It is useless." Rukia said from behind me. "It is not possible for ordinary men to see me. I am..." she paused. "A shinigami."

A light blonde haired man squaked, "_I _didn't know there was such a huge ass _cavity_ beneath that shop!"

"Shut up already." I grumbled, annoyed. "You don't have to bother screaming it out, we're already suprised."

"Hehehe...That's right, there is no need for me to hide this study hall..." Urahara whiped out his fan. "It is a masterpiece created by a combination of chic swankiness from our hyper-technology, and I completed it _all _ in one day and one night for _you_, Kurosaki-san!"

"What's with him?" I askd Tessai. "Your tenchou (store owner) has a habit of ignoring his customers and going off on rants?"

The scene ended and switched.

I became a soul reaper again.

I rescued Rukia.

My hollow came back.

Orihime was taken.

I went to rescue her.

And then, the memories stopped flashing by, and one became as clear as day.

When I faced Ulquiorra.

I watched myself have a whole blasted through my chest, and falling onto my knees.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime's voice rang out.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime cried again.

I was floating through the black space, only hearing her calling my name over and over again...

**_"Che."_**

Suddenly, I was a moster, Ulquirra was dead, and Uryu and Orihime looked at me with a new light in their eyes...

Fullbring flashed by in under a second, and I re-entered my inner world as if I was plunging through icy water. Zangetsu caught me and asked,

"**Are you okay, Ichigo?"**

The hat though, had tears in his eyes. "Oh Ichigo! I understand your past! I know just where to put you! I feel you could go in any of the houses but you should belong in..."

Fredrick paused for effect, and I randomly swayed on my feet.

Suddenly, white entered my vision and a leering voice called out to me.

_**"I'm baaack, King."**_

At that exact moment I left my mind, staring out at the Great Hall as the hat rang out triumphantly (with a happy edge in his voice)-

"GRYFFINDOR!"

I untangled myself from the meditation posistion I was in and walked towards the table that was weakly clapping. I listened to the whispers on the way over.

"He was sitting there for like five minutes!"

"I counted eight..."

"Did you see that? He had tears in his eyes!"

"Huh? He did?"

"He's kinda hot..."

"Did you hear what he said? I couldn't.''

I made it to the red and gold table and sat across from Rukia and next to Harry. I vaguely noticed I was sweating, most likely from Ulquiorra's memory. And him...

**_"I bet you missed me, King? Eh? Didn't you miss_ Hichigo?"** the hollow gave a hissing laugh in my mind. "**_Kesesesesese..."_**

I stifled a shiver and turned to Rukia. "Glad we're in the same house, Midget."

She sent him a kick under the table and said, "Hey! I was worried about you, Strawberry! Apparently that's the longest time anyone's been up there!"

I heard a British voice speak up. "Yea mate, you took forever! How'd you do that?"

Harry was giving me a strange look and murmered something about "choices." I put my head up as Dumbledore-san cleared his throught.

"There are times for speeches, but this is not one, dig in!"

* * *

**A/N Can't...type...anymore...my arm...is dead... **

**Well, since I have lost all feeling in my left arm and it is getting hard to type anymore, I'm going to end here. This is longer than my other chapters, but I didn't finish a whole hp chapter. Whatever. This'll be Part One and I'll do part Two later. I get out monday, so expect more updates! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, 'specially Shirosaki...hehe (;**

**-Hp4life7**


	5. Chapter 5 Dinner and Class

**A/N**-** Me own Nothing.**

**Ichigo POV**

By the way **"..." ** is inner zanpaktō

And _**"..." **_is inner hollow (Hichigo Shirosaki)

* * *

There was an appreciative laugh and an outbreak of applause as Dumbledore sat down neatly and threw his long beard over his shoulder so as to keep it out of the way of his plate - for food had appeared out of nowhere, so that the five long tables were groaning under joints and pies and dishes of vegetables, bread and sauces and flagons of pumpkin juice.

I stood there, eyes wide open, until Rukia nudged me.

"Ichigo, this a _magic _school, you remember right?"

I flashed back to the memory of our first meeting.

"Sure," I said and gave a small (rare) smile.

She sent me a look and began to put food onto her plate.

"Excellent," said Ron, with a kind of groan of longing, and he seized the nearest plate of chops and began piling them on to his plate. It was then that I noticed another silver thing, but closer...

"What were you saying before the Sorting?" Hermione asked to the silver blur. "About the Hat giving warnings?"

"Oh, yes," said the silver person, who seemed glad of a reason to turn away from Ron, who was now eating roast potatoes with almost indecent enthusiasm. "Yes, I have heard the Hat give several warnings before, always at times when it detects periods of great danger for the school. And always, of course, its advice is the same: stand together, be strong from within."

I added some white fluffy substance onto my plate and some veggies that I recognized and turned to the floating person.

"Er, who're you?"

The silver thing turned to me. "You're the new exchange student? I haven't seen one in hundreds of years! I'm Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington, resident ghost of Gryffindor Tower."

Even Rukia looked up. "G-ghost?" She then grabbed my collar and pulled me close.

"I can't see his chain of fate."

I sent the ghost another look. "Scratch that Rukia, he doesn't have a chain of fate."

"Let me try something."

"No stopping you, midget."

I got an elbow to the gut as Rukia went to ask the ghost something.

"Have you ever heard of Avalon?"

Sir Nicholas froze. "I ...are you-?"

"Nick? Are you alright?" Hermione asked him.

"O-of course. Let us talk later, Miss." The ghost floated off, probably to tell the other ghosts that there is a soul reaper in the castle.

"What did you do that for?" I scowled. "Now they're all scared out of their wits about you."

"About what?" Hermione inquired.

Feeling that Rukia was going to be pestered about what she said to Sir Nicholas, I quickly cut in with an "Itadakimasu!

"Itadakimasu!" Rukia echo'd grabbing some chopsticks a few feet away from her seat.

Hermione then turned her attention to Ron, started bickering with him, and then became silent. By now I was comfortably full so I set my chopsticks down (which Ronald had been staring at all night) and looked up to see Dumbledore-san rise up.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore. "First-years ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students - and a few of our older students ought to know by now, too." (Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged smirks.) "Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four-hundred-and-sixty second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.

"We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was a round of polite but fairly unenthusiastic applause, during which Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged slightly panicked looks; making me curius. I leaned in closer to snag any conversation they might have.

Dumbledore continued, "Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the -"

He broke off, looking enquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge cleared her throat, "Hem, hem," and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech.

She looked like somebody's maiden aunt: squat, with short, curly, mouse-brown hair in which she had placed a horrible pink Alice band that matched the fluffy pink cardigan she wore over her robes. Then she turned her face slightly and I saw her toadlike face and a pair of prominent, pouchy eyes.

"Nice cardigan," I muttered to Rukia. "Yumichika would faint at the sight of her."

Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. One professor's eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair and Professor McGonagall's mouth was a thin line.

Many of the students were smirking; this woman obviously did not know how things were done at Hogwarts.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."

Her voice was high-pitched, breathy and little-girlish and she gave another little throat-clearing cough ("hem, hem") and continued.

"Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!"

_**"Happy little faces, che. I'll show you my happy little face when it's splattered in your blood... kesesesese."**_

I immediatly stiffened, this proved he really w_as_ back.

_"Shiro, if you do anything..."_

**_"Che," _**he snorted. **_"Of course not, King."_**

None of the faces I could see looked happy. On the contrary, they all looked rather taken-aback at being addressed as though they were five years old.

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"

Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins.

"I'll be her friend as long as I don't have to borrow that cardigan," An indian girl whispered to another Gryffindor, and both of them lapsed into silent giggles.

Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again ("hem, hem"), but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them.

_Wow, she can shift moods easy, like that easy going captain who wears the pink over his Haori..._ I thought, remembering seeing him when I went to retreive the previous substitute shinigami's body and bring it back to the world of the living.

I listened to her 'drab' (as Yumichika would say) speech bored and not exactly paying attention. Rukia, on the other hand, had that glint in her eyes that came from her years in the Seretei.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them for ever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."

Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back to her. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawklike, and I distinctly saw her exchange a significant glance with the dumpty sensei as Umbridge gave another little "hem, hem" and went on with her speech.

"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation…"

My attentiveness was ebbing, as though my brain was slipping in and out of tune. The atmosphere reminded me of science class back in Karakura, the class I was always so tired in. The quiet that filled the Hall when Dumbledore was speaking was breaking up as students put their heads together, whispering and giggling. Over at the Ravenclaw table, I saw girls giggling together, the pretty Asian from before. Luna awas sitting off to the side, actually, Ishida was close to her, talking under his breath with Tōshirō, the same informative glare in his eyes as Rukia's. I then checked on the girls at the Hufflepuff, noticing how Orihime's head was nodding...staying down...mouth open... Hinamori nudged her with her elbow and Inoue shot up muttering something that seemed to be about eyebrows and pickles.

Seeing her familiar antics calmed me down a bit and took my mind off of the hollow. I spared a glance at the Slytherin table, watching how the students sneered and pointed, especially at Harry. Just so the green would get my message, I sent my signature scowl their way.

Professor Umbridge did not seem to notice the restlessness of her audience. I had the impression that a full-scale squad eleven riot could have broken out under her nose and she would have ploughed on with her speech. The teachers, however, were still listening very attentively, and I saw Hermione drinking in every word Umbridge spoke, though, judging by her expression, they were not at all to her taste.

"… because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."

She sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead, though several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again.

"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing to her. "Now, as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held…"

"Yes, it certainly was illuminating," said Hermione in a low voice that I could obviously hear, being next to the group.

"You're not telling me you enjoyed it?" Ron said quietly, turning a glazed face towards Hermione. "That was about the dullest speech I've ever heard, and I grew up with Percy."

"I said illuminating, not enjoyable," said Hermione. "It explained a lot.'

"Did it?" said Harry in surprise. "Sounded like a load of waffle to me."

"There was some important stuff hidden in the waffle," said Hermione grimly.

"Was there?" said Ron blankly.

"Waffle..?" I murmered quietly with a snicker.

"How about: 'progress for progress's sake must be discouraged'? How about: 'pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited'?"

"Well, what does that mean?" said Ron impatiently.

I shook my head, even _I_ understood what she meant! Well...most of it. Rukia had a calculating look in her eyes and she also listened in.

"I'll tell you what it means," said Hermione through gritted teeth. "It means the Ministry's interfering at Hogwarts."

There was a great clattering and banging all around them; Dumbledore had obviously just dismissed the school, because everyone was standing up ready to leave the Hall. Hermione jumped up, looking flustered.

"Ron, we're supposed to show the first-years where to go!"

"Oh yeah," said Ron, who had obviously forgotten. "Hey - hey, you lot! Midgets!"

"Ne, Rukia." I said, in a louder tone this time. "Shouldn't you go with Ron? They called for 'midgets'."

I knew I was in trouble, but accepted the angry kick from the smaller shinigami.

"Ron!"

"Well, they are, they're titchy…"

"See? You're titchy too! Go on." I grinned.

"I know, but you can't call them midgets! - First-years!" Hermione called commandingly along the table. "This way, please!"

A group of new students walked shyly up the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables, all of them trying hard not to lead the group. They did indeed seem very small; smaller than Yuzu and Karin at that.

A blond boy next to Euan Abercrombie looked petrified; he nudged Euan and whispered something in his ear. Euan Abercrombie looked equally frightened and stole a horrified look at Harry, which I immediatly noticed.

"See you later," he said dully to Ron and Hermione and he made his way out of the Great Hall alone, doing everything he could to ignore more whispering, staring and pointing as he passed. He kept his eyes fixed ahead as he wove his way through the crowd in the Entrance Hall, then he hurried up the marble staircase, took a couple of concealed short cuts and had soon left most of the crowds behind.

"Wait-let's follow him," Rukia muttered to me. "We're supposed to protect him, remember?"

"Oh," I realized. "So that's why..." I nodded, trailing off.

"Come on, hurry up!"

I quickly got up and ran a bit, stopping a couple of feet behind Harry. Walking towards him, I asked, "Hey, Harry, can we follow you to the common room? I have no idea where it is or how to get there..." I scratched my head sheepishly.

Looking startled as he just noticed me he said with a bitter tone, "Yea, sure, I know Hogwarts can be confusing."

Rukia and I walked up after him, and I couldn't help but notice his disgruntled look and the rage coming off of him. Obviously those rumours had gotten under his skin, so I gave him an akward little pat on the back and turned away.

Harry had reached the end of the corridor to the Gryffindor common room and come to a halt in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady before he realized that he did not know the new password.

"Er…" he said glumly, staring up at the Fat Lady, who smoothed the folds of her pink satin dress and looked sternly back at him.

"No password, no entrance," she said loftily.

"No password? You mean..." Realization dawned on me.

"I know it, I know it!" Someone panted up behind him and I turned to see Neville jogging towards our trio. "Guess what it is? I'm actually going to be able to remember it for once -" He waved the stunted little cactus he had shown them on the train. "Mimbulus mimbletonia!"

"Correct," said the Fat Lady, and her portrait swung open towards them like a door, revealing a circular hole in the wall behind, through which Harry and Neville now climbed.

I warily glanced into the room, stepping up and into the portrait hole with Rukia behind me.

It was a welcoming room painted a deep red of Gryffindor, a cozy circular tower room full of dilapidated squashy armchairs and rickety old tables. A fire was crackling merrily in the grate and a few people were warming their hands by it before going up to their dormitories; on the other side of the room two more (older) red heads were pinning something up on a notice board.

Harry and Neville went straight to a twisting staircase most likely leading to the dorms. I sat down on the last remaining armchair and sighed.

"Long day, Ichigo?" Rukia asked as she sat down on the side of the chair.

"Oh? Yea, I guess. Hey, what happened when Fredrick-san went into your mind?"

"Fredrick?"

"Nevermind..." I started, as some shouts came from the dorm upstairs.

"Don't talk to me like that!"

I stood up and started to climb the dorm stairs. "Chair's all yours, Rukia!"

"Leave my mother out of this, Potter!"

"What's going on?"

Ron had appeared in the doorway before I could. His wide eyes traveled from Harry, who was kneeling on his bed with his wand pointing at the boy from dinner, Seamus, to Seamus, who was standing there with his fists raised.

He's having a go at my mother!" Seamus yelled.

"What?" said Ron. "Harry wouldn't do that — we met your mother, we liked her…"

"That's before she started believing every word the stinking Daily Prophet writes about me!" said Harry at the top of his voice.

"Oh," said Ron, comprehension dawning across his freckled face. "Oh… right."

"You know what?" said Seamus heatedly, casting Harry a venomous look. "He's right, I don't want to share a dormitory with him any more, he's a madman."

_Maybe I should stay out of this one,_ I thought, taking a step back.

"That's out of order, Seamus," said Ron, whose ears were starting to glow red.

"Out of order, am I?" shouted Seamus, who in contrast with Ron was tuning paler. "You believe all the rubbish he's come out with about You-Know-Who, do you, you reckon he's telling the truth?"

"Yeah, I do!" said Ron angrily.

"Then you're mad, too," said Seamus in disgust.

"Yeah? Well, unfortunately for you, pal, I'm also a prefect!" said Ron, jabbing himself in the chest with a finger. "So unless you want detention, watch your mouth!"

Seamus looked for a few seconds as though detention would be a reasonable price to pay to say what was going through his mind; but with a noise of contempt he turned on his heel, vaulted into bed and pulled the hangings shut with such violence that they were ripped from the bed and fell in a dusty pile to the floor. Ron glared at Seamus, then looked at Dean and Neville.

"Anyone else's parents got a problem with Harry?" he said aggressively.

"My parents are Muggles, mate," said the other one Dean, shrugging. "They don't know nothing about no deaths at Hogwarts, because I'm not stupid enough to tell them."

"You don't know my mother, she'd weasel anything out of anyone!" Seamus snapped at him.

"Anyway your parents don't get the Daily Prophet. They don't know our Headmaster's been sacked from the Wizengamot and the International Confederation of Wizards because he's losing his marbles -"

"My gran says that's rubbish," piped up Neville. "She says it's the Daily Prophet that's going downhill, not Dumbledore. She's cancelled our subscription. We believe Harry" said Neville simply.

He climbed into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin, looking owlishly over them at Seamus. "My gran's always said You-Know-Who would come back one day. She says if Dumbledore says he's back, he's back."

Sensing that everyone had calmed down I walked in past Ron. "Who's this You-Know-Who again?"

Ron's mouth flopped open like he was a fish.

"You don't- he doesn't- he-"

"Voldemort," Harry said seriously, stopping Ron. I noticed the occupants of the room wince at the name. "He was an evil wizard from our parent's age, and last year he- he killed my friend and came back."

"Came back from the dead?" I asked sharply. "That isn't possible." _Trust me, I know._

"What, now Ichigo doesn't beleive me!" Harry sent me a glare.

I scowled. " It's not like I don't beleive you, it's just... no one can come back from the dead." I stopped, and so did Harry, noticing that I had gone silent.

"Unless he was never dead."

* * *

I sat straight up in the morning as I woke up, sweating and panting. Lucky for me, no one else seemed to be up. So, I dressed in my robes (which reminded me of my Shinigami uniform) and went down the stairs quietly.

Hermione was already downstairs, sitting on a plush chair with a thick book on her lap. She glanced up at the noise I made coming downstairs, taking in my clammy appearance. Looking down fast, she became absorbed in her book once more, most likely waiting for Ron and Harry.

Rukia walked down a couple minutes after me, with some other girls who shared the dorm with her. By then I was normal looking and breathing normally so Rukia didn't act out of the normal.

"Strawberry."

"Midget."

An angry tic mark appeared, but it was obviously suppressed and she looked up to me, "Let's go to breakfast. I think Hitsugaya wants to meet up with us."

"Tōshirō?" I asked, not sounding suprised. "Of course he does." I rolled my eyes.

"Respect your superiors, Strawberry!"

"What's the matter?" I heard Hermione ask. "You look absolutely - Oh for heaven's sake."

Catching my intrest, I turned to see a sign posted up on the notice board.

**GALLONS OF GALLEONS.**

**Pocket money failing to keep pace with your outgoings? Like to earn a little extra gold? Contact Fred and George Weasley, Gryffindor common room, for simple, part-time, virtually painless jobs. (We regret that all work is undertaken at applicant's own risk.)**

"They are the limit," said Hermione grimly, taking down the sign, which Fred and George had pinned up over a poster giving the date of the first Hogsmeade weekend in October. "We'll have to talk to them, Ron."

Ron looked positively alarmed.

"Why?"

"Because we're prefects!" said Hermione, as they climbed out through the portrait hole. "It's up to us to stop this kind of thing!"

I gave a little smirk in their direction and climbed out after them.

Rukia and I followed the Ravenclaws into the Great Hall, the enchanted ceiling above them was a miserable rain-cloud grey.

I sat down next to the trio, by accidently bumping into a girl with long black hair.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly.

She gave me a dismissive nod and turned to Harry.

"Hi," she said briskly, "good summer?" And without waiting for an answer, "Listen, I've been made Gryffindor Quidditch Captain."

"Nice one," said Harry, grinning at her.

"Yeah, well, we need a new Keeper now Oliver's left. Tryouts are on Friday at five o'clock and I want the whole team there, all right? Then we can see how the new person will fit in."

"Okay," said Harry.

Angelina smiled at him and departed.

"I'd forgotten Wood had left," said Hermione vaguely as she sat down beside Ron and pulled a plate of toast towards her. "I suppose that will make quite a difference to the team?"

"I s'pose," said Harry, taking the bench opposite. "He was a good Keeper…"

"Still, it won't hurt to have some new blood, will it?" said Ron.

_Quidditch? You know what, I'm not even going to ask. I bet it's a sport where you fly around on brooms or something, che._

With a whoosh and a clatter, hundreds of owls came soaring in through the upper windows. They descended all over the Hall, bringing letters and packages to their owners and showering the breakfasters with droplets of water; it was clearly raining hard swooped down and landed on my outstretched arm, as if waiting for something.

"Ichigo, I think the owl wants a letter."

"Huh?" I asked, scrambling to get some writing supplies and parchment from my bag."Pen...pen...pen..." I muttered, and finally found one. I quickly wrote a letter to Yuzu, Karin, and goat-chin. I stuffed the letter into the owl's talons and lifted my arm up so she could fly off. With a great _whoosh_ she flew off, flapping her giant wings and gathering stares from all over the hall.

Professor McGonagall was now moving along the table handing out schedules.

"Look at today!" groaned Ron. "History of Magic, double Potions, Divination and double Defense Against the Dark Arts… Binns, Snape, Trelawney and that Umbridge woman all in one day! I wish Fred and George'd hurry up and get those Skiving Snackboxes sorted…"

Do mine ears deceive me?'" said redhead #3, arriving with redhead #4 and squeezing on to the bench beside Harry. "Hogwarts prefects surely don't wish to skive off lessons?"

"Look what we've got today," said Ron grumpily, shoving his timetable under red head #3's nose. "That's the worst Monday I've ever seen."

"Fair point, little bro," said redhead #3, scanning the column. "You can have a bit of Nosebleed Nougat cheap if you like."

"Why's it cheap?" said Ron suspiciously.

"Because you'll keep bleeding till you shrivel up, we haven't got an antidote yet," said redhead #4, helping himself to a kipper.

Cheers," said Ron moodily, pocketing his timetable, "but I think I'll take the lessons."

"And speaking of your Skiving Snackboxes," said Hermione, eyeing the twins beadily, "you can't advertise for testers on the Gryffindor noticeboard."

"Says who?" said redhead #4, looking astonished.

"Says me," said Hermione. "And Ron."

"Leave me out of it," said Ron hastily.

I smirked into my eggs at his antics. This day was starting out pretty good. No Dad to attack me, no Keigo to do that in school... I sighed in contentment.

That is until Rukia punched me and told me to get up. "We need to go and meet the others." She whispered to me.

"Hai, hai." I nodded, finishing the last of my toast. Scowling, I got up and made my way over to the Ravenclaw table where the rest of the group was. Well, not including Yoruichi, as she had disapeared the second we entered the castle. She could take care of herself though. As we left, I noticed Hermione giving me a strange look. Is she already suspicious?

I sat down next to Orihime and Uryu, with an "Ohayo."

"Ohayo!" Orihime replied cheerfully with a big grin. "How did you sleep Kurosaki-kun?"

"Er," I looked away. "Not too good."

Uryu sent me a look, and I figured he knew what I dreamed about. I pointedly ignored his stare.

"So what did you want to talk to us about?" Rukia asked the captain.

"Well, I've heard some rumours about the History of Magic class. Apparently the teacher's a ghost."

"A ghost?" asked Hinamori. "I've seen some around here, and actually talked to some."

I scowled. "Rukia scared the Gryffindor ghost away with word of Avalon."

"The west-central European soul society?" Tōshirō asked.

Hinamori nodded, "I've interacted with them before, they have a system with knights, and a field marshall."

All of a sudden the students around us sat up, to go to their first classes. I followed the Hufflepuffs to Rukia's and my class.

History of Magic was by common consent the most boring subject ever devised by wizardkind. In the begining it was sort of interesting, since we were supposed to gather information on the ghost, butProfessor Binns, their ghost teacher, had a wheezy, droning voice that was almost guaranteed to cause severe drowsiness within ten minutes, five in warm weather. I almost immediatly fell asleep, but got socked by Rukia a couple of times so I was okay for the first minutes.

Today, I suffered through an hour and a half's droning on the subject of giant wars, which were remotley intresting for the first bit of class. I left, stumbling dazedly out of the classroom while the Proffesor walked through the black board.

A fine misty drizzle was falling, so that the people standing in huddles around the edges of the yard looked blurred at the edges. Harry, Ron and Hermione chose a secluded corner under a heavily dripping balcony, turning up the collars of their robes against the chilly September air and talking about snakes or something. I walked up to them just as did the pretty asain who I've been seeing all over the place.

"Hello, Harry!"

"Hi," said Harry, his face growing red. _At least you're not covered in Stinksap this time,_ I thought to myself. She seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"You got that stuff off, then?"

"Yeah," said Harry, trying to grin as though the memory of their last meeting was funny as opposed to mortifying. "So, did you… er… have a good summer?"

Something seemed to tighten in her face, but she said, "Oh, it was all right, you know…"

"Is that a Tornados badge?" Ron demanded suddenly, pointing to the front of the Ravenclaw's robes, where a sky-blue badge emblazoned with a double gold 'T' was pinned. "You don't support them, do you?"

I leaned against the pole closest to the group so I could overhear and see them. Ron, she's obviously supporting them if she's wearing the badge!

"Yeah, I do," said Cho.

"Have you always supported them, or just since they started winning the league?" said Ron, in what was considered an unnecessarily accusatory tone of voice.

"I've supported them since I was six," she said coolly. "Anyway… see you, Harry."

She walked away. Hermione waited until she was halfway across the courtyard before rounding on Ron.

"You are so tactless!"

"What? I only asked her if -"

"Couldn't you tell she wanted to talk to Harry on her own?"

"So? She could've done, I wasn't stopping -"

"Why on earth were you attacking her about her Quidditch team?"

"Attacking? I wasn't attacking her, I was only -"

"Who cares if she supports the Tornados?"

"Oh, come on, half the people you see wearing those badges only bought them last season -"

"But what does it matter!"

"It means they're not real fans, they're just jumping on the bandwagon -"

"That's the bell," said Harry dully, because Ron and Hermione were bickering too loudly to hear it.

Starting up I stretched then walked in the direction of what I thought was the potion's room. I slipped behind the trio just in case, so I wouldn't get lost. I noticed Rukia had already gone ahead while I was listening in to their conversation, so I walked alone.

I walked through the squeaky door of the dungeon and took a seat next to Hermione, who narrowed her eyes ever so slighty. I scowled at her, why was she sending me that glare? I was about to say something but was interrupted by the Proffesor, Snape I think.

"Settle down," said Snape coldly, shutting the door behind him.

There was no real need for the call to order; the moment the class had heard the door close, quiet had fallen and all fidgeting stopped. Snape's mere presence was enough to ensure a class's silence.

"Before we begin today's lesson," said Snape, sweeping over to his desk and staring around at them all, "I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an 'Acceptable' in your OWL, or suffer my… displeasure."

His gaze lingered this time on Neville, who gulped.

My ever-permanent scowl lingered on him for picking on Longbottom.

"After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me," Snape went on. "I take only the very best into my NEWT Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying goodbye."

His eyes rested on Harry and his lip curled. Harry glared back, and it was obvious that the two had a grudge against each other.

"But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell," said Snape softly, "so, whether or not you are intending to attempt NEWT, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high pass level I have come to expect from my OWL students. "Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: the Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe warned: if you are too heavy-handed with the ingredients you will put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep, so you will need to pay close attention to what you are doing." On my right, Hermione sat up a little straighter, her expression one of utmost attention.

"The ingredients and method -" Snape flicked his wand "- are on the blackboard -" (they appeared there) "- you will find everything you need —" he flicked his wand again "- in the store cupboard -" (the door of the said cupboard sprang open) "- you have an hour and a half… start."

I squinted my eyes at the board, reading the instructions. They seemed pretty hard, great for my first potion. I groaned and took about my cauldron (Cliche, much?).

"A light silver vapour should now be rising from your potion," called Snape, with ten minutes left to go.

I gave a look at my cauldron, sighing in releif that it wasn't green or anything (like Nevilles). A darker gray vapour was rising from my potion. I glanced over towards Rukia a row away to see a startled look on her face at the clumpy charcoal substance in her cauldron.

Ron's was spitting green sparks. Seamus was feverishly prodding the flames at the base of his cauldron with the tip of his wand, as they seemed to be going out. Harry's was like mine, but clumpier and darker.

The surface of Hermione's potion, however, was a shimmering mist of silver vapour, and as Snape swept by he looked down his hooked nose at it without comment, which meant he could find nothing to criticize.

At Harry's cauldron, however, Snape stopped, and looked down at it with a horrible smirk on his face.

"Potter, what is this supposed to be?"

The Slytherins at the front of the class all looked up eagerly; they loved hearing Snape taunt Harry.

"The Draught of Peace," said Harry tensely.

"Tell me, Potter," said Snape softly, "can you read?"

My brow furrowed, I could tell Snape was going to be unfair.

Draco Malfoy laughed.

"Yes, I can," said Harry, his fingers clenched tightly around his wand.

"Read the third line of the instructions for me, Potter."

Harry squinted at the blackboard; it was not easy to make out the instructions through the haze of multi-colored steam now filling the dungeon.

"'Add powdered moonstone, stir three times counter-clockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes then add two drops of syrup of hellebore.'"

I noticed Harry's shoulders sag, he most likely had forgot to do something or mixed clockwise or something of the sort.

"Did you do everything on the third line, Potter?"

"No," said Harry very quietly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"No," said Harry, more loudly. "I forgot the hellebore."

"I know you did, Potter, which means that this mess is utterly worthless. Evanesco."

The contents of Harry's potion vanished; he was left standing foolishly beside an empty cauldron.

"Those of you who have managed to read the instructions, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name and bring it up to my desk for testing," said Snape.

"Homework: twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion making, to be handed in on Thursday."

I glared in Snape's direction for both Harry's mistreatment and the large amount of homework that was given. He shouldn't be that unfair to anyone!

I gathered my things in my arms, put them in my bag, then joined Rukia as we left. SHe spoke to me on the way.

"Lunch, then Divination for you and Ancient Runes for me, then Defense Against The Dark Arts."

* * *

**A/N Umbrige next chapter! Sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes. I get out monday, so expect more updates! Sorry for OOCness and not too much Kurosaki-kun~**


	6. Chapter 6 The Wicked Witch of DADA

**A/N**-** Me own Nothing.**

**Ichigo POV**

By the way **"..." ** is zanpaktō

And _**"..." **_is inner hollow (Hichigo Shirosaki)

* * *

I spent the rest of lunch talking with Rukia, and then going over to the Ravenclaw table to report about Proffesor Binns.

"It's like he doesn't even know he's dead." I told the group.

After that I said goodbye to Rukia and left with my divination stuff to go to the North Tower. I asked some seventh years, who told me which way to go in.

"Ah," I sighed, banging myself on the head with my hand. "I'm completley lost..."

I was in an empty corridor next to some stairs, and so I decided that going up was my best bet. (Towers are up high, right?) Stepping onto the stairs, I climbed upwards until I felt the ground rumbling underneath me. Gripping onto the sides, the stairs rotated downwards towards another floor. Feeling that this might be the right way to go, I hurried down, that is until my foot stuck on a vanishing step and I fell face first down the moving staircase.

Five minutes later I ended on the the top most floor I could find. The bell had already rung, so I was in the halls without a pass.

_I hope that guy, Filth or something, doesn't catch me here...or that wierd looking cat of his._ I thought to myself.

Leaning against the wall, I hear a muffled shout of, "Why you scurvy dog! You want to fight! The brave Sir Cadogan will fight sword to sword, man to man, against you!"

An angry tick mark appeared on my forehead. "Why you-" I turned towards the painting.

Something dawned on me. "Hey, can you bring to the divination room?"

"Heh, trying to sniffle out, eh? You want me to do that instead."

"Yea. That's what I just said." I said to him, irked.

"Well, I guess an awesome knight like me should perform good deeds to appease my public!"

I cracked my neck. This painting was really getting on my nerves...

"Follow me, good sir! Tally ho!" Cadogan said and galloped up through painting on his squat little horse.

"Oi! Matte!" I shouted as I ran up the steps next to me.

I followed the painting for a good 7 minutes until I reached the top, slightly huffing.

"Well, good sir, I just hath done a good deed! You should reward me, fight me!" he cried.

"Yea, well, maybe later." I said as I walked up the ladder and into the trap door. "...Not."

A plume of incence-smoke blew right into my face as I walked in, and I started coughing maniacly. Opening my eyes to see a room draped in different coloured cloths with candles and incense burning everywhere. Matching the room exactly was a witch with huge eyes magnified by round glasses. She was thin, and was heavily draped in shawls and being weighed down by a multitude of beads.

"Turn, please, to the introduction and read what Imago has to say on the matter of dream interpretation. Then, use your table mates as partners. Use The Dream Oracle to interpret each others most recent dreams. Carry on."

Then noticing me, she turned in my direction and started to say something but she stumbled backwards.

"Oh hey, I er, kinda got lost..."

Interupting me, she spoke in a mystical, slightly spooky voice.

**_"One boy, met by seven,_**

**_has come from our heavan;_**

**_here to stop, to save, to reap,_**

**_protecting what we must meet;_**

**_consumed by darkness but shadowed in light,_**

**_surrounded by creatures of death each night,_**

**_To save our castle, to reap, to fall,_**

**_joined by new friends to stop them all."_**

I gave her a wierd look, and she returned it with a shuddering gasp and a curious look. "What did you say, dear?"

The whole room stared at her, and me, gawking with mouths open.

"Er, I got lost." I said, did she just forget what happened?

"Yes yes, now start reading."

I sat down at the closest table (Harry's and Ron's) and was immediatly met with questions.

"What was that, mate?" Ron asked me.

"Was that a prophecy?" Harry muttered.

"How should I know?" I replied indignantly.

"Reading now, then we will determine our inner eyes!" The sensei called from somewhere in the classroom.

By the time they had all finished reading the introduction of the book, we had barely ten minutes left for dream interpretation. At the table next to us, Dean had paired up with Neville, who immediately embarked on a long-winded explanation of a nightmare involving a pair of giant scissors wearing his grandmother's best hat; and the two next to me looked at each other glumly.

"I never remember my dreams," said Ron, "you say one."

"You must remember one of them," said Harry impatiently.

"Well, I dreamed I was playing Quidditch the other night," said Ron, screwing up his face in an effort to remember. "What d'you reckon that means?"

"Probably that you're going to be eaten by a giant marshmallow or something," said Harry, turning the pages of The Dream Oracle without interest.

Again, I thought that I shouldn't ask about this Quidditch, because Ron was going to get wicked worked up on it again.

**"**Ichigo, do you have any dreams?" Harry turned to me.

"'Course I have dreams." I snorted, looking away.

"Like?"

"Er..." I replied, stalling.

"I saw you tossing and turning last night, you must've dreamed about something!" Ron said bluntly.

I pulled a blank face. "Oh, I dreamed I..." Should I mention what happened?

"Go on?" Harry said, sounding curious.

"...had a hole blown through my chest..." I muttered. Damn Ulquiorra.

"See, that wasn't so hard." Ron said smartly.

Harry gave Ron a look, then turned back to me. "Let's see, who caused it."

"A bat."

I got blank stares.

"A bat-monster-person-thing with a hole through his chest."

"Oh-er, okay." Harry wrote that down and flipped through his divination book. "Did anybody stop this..bat-thing?"

"Yea," I turned away. "Another monster."

_**"Kesesesese, you can't be talking about me King? I feel soooo offended."**_

I turned my head in another direction, towards Harry.

"Okay, so..." he turned a page and jotted something down. "You have a fear of bananas, resulted by the alignment of the moon, alloted in 'ever lasting night' going on in your inner mind." Harry stated.

Ron burst out laughing, earning glares from the girls a table over. "Shh! Don't interupt our inner eyes!" They shout whispered to him.

I scowled. "I don't think that's what it meant."

Harry grinned. "Oh well, at least you didn't have to make something up, we usually write down our deaths 20 different ways."

I smirked, the closest I'll get to a grin. "One by watery death, another by a little girl tripping you, another by people dressed in wierd costumes..." I trailed off as they laughed.

_**"You won't be able to ignore me forever... Sometimes the king falls off the horse..."**_

I shivered slightly, but it went unnoticed by the two friends.

Suddenly the bell rang. "You will have to record a month long dream diary for me, children. Off you go!"

"D'you realize how much homework we've got already? Binns set us a foot-and-a-half-long essay on giant wars, Snape wants a foot on the use of moonstones, and now we've got a month's dream diary from Trelawney! Fred and George weren't wrong about OWL year, were they? That Umbridge woman had better not give us any…" Ron groaned.

"Fred and George?" I asked, having heard of them alot.

"Ah, my brothers, they're twins, always getting into trouble. Mum had a right fit the other day because of their merchandise." Ron scowled.

We entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, finding Professor Umbridge already seated at the teacher's desk, wearing the fluffy pink cardigan of the night before and the black velvet bow on top of her head.

The class was quiet as she entered the room; Professor Umbridge was, as yet, an unknown quantity and nobody knew how strict a disciplinarian she was likely to be.

"Well, good afternoon!" she said, when finally the whole class had sat down.

A few people mumbled "good afternoon" in reply.

"Tut, tut," said Professor Umbridge. "That won't do, now, will it? I should like you, please, to reply 'Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge'. One more time, please. Good afternoon, class!"

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," they chanted back at her.

I stayed quiet, refusing to be treated like a five year old. I noticed Harry did too, and spotted Rukia a few seats over in the corner of my eye.

"There, now," said Professor Umbridge sweetly. "That wasn't too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out, please."

Many of the class exchanged gloomy looks; the order "wands away" had never yet been followed by a lesson they had found interesting. I shoved my wand back inside my bag and pulled out a quill (why not use a pen, for Kami's sake), ink, and parchment. Professor Umbridge opened her handbag, extracted her own wand, which was an unusually short one, and tapped the blackboard sharply with it; words appeared on the board at once:

_Defense Against the Dark Arts A Return to Basic Principles_

"Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it?" stated Professor Umbridge, turning to face the class with her hands clasped neatly in front of her.

"The constant changing of teachers, many of whom do not seem to have followed any Ministry approved curriculum, has unfortunately resulted in your being far below the standard we would expect to see in your OWL year."

OWL? Owls? Not going to say anything.

"You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now to be rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theory-centered, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic this year. Copy down the following, please."

Discarding the quill, as I refuse to use it, I took out a pen and prepared to copy whatever she said. I disliked the toad already, she seemed too sugar coated and hid some secrets.

She rapped the blackboard again; the first message vanished and was replaced by: Course Aims:

_1. Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic._

_2. Learning to recognize situations in which defensive magic can legally be used._

_3. Placing the use of defensive magic in a context for practical use._

For a couple of minutes the room was full of the sound of scratching quills on parchment. When everyone had copied down Professor Umbridge's three course aims she asked, "Has everybody got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"

There was a dull murmur of assent throughout the class.

"I think we'll try that again," said Professor Umbridge. "When I ask you a question, I should like you to reply, 'Yes, Professor Umbridge', or 'No, Professor Umbridge'. So: has everyone got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"

"Yes, Professor Umbridge," rang through the room.

**_"Yes Proffesor Umbridge! I'll do anything for you like the little five year old at-heart I__ am."_ **Hichigo mocked.

_Shut up, Shirosaki. I'm in class here. _ I thought towards my hollow angrily. he better not try anything...

**_"Of_ ****course **_**King. I'll do anything for you like the little hollow horsey I am." **_

"Good," said Professor Umbridge. "I should like you to turn to page five and read 'Chapter One, Basics for Beginners'. There will be no need to talk."

Professor Umbridge left the blackboard and settled herself in the chair behind the teacher's desk, observing them all closely with those pouchy toad's eyes. I turned to page five of my copy of Defensive Magical Theory and started to read.

It was desperately dull, quite as bad as listening to Professor Binns. I noticed Harry had soon read the same line half a dozen times without taking in more than the first few words. Several silent minutes passed. Next to him, Ron was absent-mindedly turning his quill over and over in his fingers, staring at the same spot on the page.

Pulling me out of my daydream was Hermione, who had her hand straight up in the air and stairing pointedly at Umbridge. Hermione had not even opened her copy of Defensive Magical Theory. She was staring fixedly at Professor Umbridge with her hand in the air.

Harry looked at her enquiringly, but she merely shook her head slightly to indicate that she was not about to answer questions, and continued to stare at Professor Umbridge, who was looking just as resolutely in another direction. After several more minutes had passed, however, Harry was not the only one watching Hermione. The chapter they had been instructed to read was so tedious that more and more people were choosing to watch Hermione's mute attempt to catch Professor Umbridge's eye rather than struggle on with 'Basics for Beginners'. When more than half the class were staring at Hermione rather than at their books, Professor Umbridge seemed to decide that she could ignore the situation no longer.

"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?" she asked Hermione, as though she had only just noticed her.

"Not about the chapter, no," said Hermione.

"Well, we're reading just now," said Professor Umbridge, showing her small pointed teeth. "If you have other queries we can deal with them at the end of class."

"I've got a query about your course aims," said Hermione.

Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows.

"And your name is?"

"Hermione Granger," said Hermione.

"Well, Miss Granger, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully," said Professor Umbridge in a voice of determined sweetness.

"Well, I don't," said Hermione bluntly. "There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells."

There was a short silence in which many members of the class turned their heads to frown at the three course aims still written on the blackboard. I blinked and reread them, she was right! Rukia gave me a look, as if she knew I hadn't noticced it. She probably had...

"Using defensive spells?" Professor Umbridge repeated with a little laugh. "Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"

_That _made me pissed off. You obviously wouldn't be attacked in class (unless you're like me), but you would in a real life situation outside of school! Hello, I'm a perfect example of that! Just a normal high school student.

"We're not going to use magic?" Ron exclaimed loudly.

"Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr. -?"

"Weasley," said Ron, thrusting his hand into the air.

Professor Umbridge, smiling still more widely, turned her back on him. Harry and Hermione immediately raised their hands too. Professor Umbridge's pouchy eyes lingered on Harry for a moment before she addressed Hermione.

"Yes, Miss Granger? You wanted to ask something else?"

"Yes," said Hermione. "Surely the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells?"

"Are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?" asked Professor Umbridge, in her falsely sweet voice.

"No, but -"

"Well then, I'm afraid you are not qualified to decide what the 'whole point' of any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new program of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way -"

"What use is that?" said Harry loudly. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be in a -"

"Hand, Mr. Potter!" sang Professor Umbridge.

Harry thrust his fist in the air. Again, Professor Umbridge promptly turned away from him, but now several other people had their hands up, too.

"And your name is?" Professor Umbridge said to Dean.

"Dean Thomas."

"Well, Mr. Thomas?"

"Well, it's like Harry said, isn't it?" said Dean. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be risk free."

"I repeat," said Professor Umbridge, smiling in a very irritating fashion at Dean, "do you expect to be attacked during my classes?"

"No, but -"

Professor Umbridge talked over him. "I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this school," she said, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth, "but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed - not to mention," she gave a nasty little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."

_If you think about it, I'm an extremely dangerous half-breed..._ I thought to myself. More reason to hate this witch.

"If you mean Professor Lupin," piped up Dean angrily, "he was the best we ever -"

"Hand, Mr. Thomas! As I was saying - you have been introduced to spells that have been complex, inappropriate to your age group and potentially lethal. You have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet Dark attacks every other day -"

"Actually, that's true," I muttered, catching both Rukia and Hermione's glances. Rukia was mouthing words in Japanese to me, I just turned away stubbornly. My anger went up some at her, doubting true happenings.

"No we haven't," Hermione said, "we just -"

"Your hand is not up, Miss Granger!"

Hermione put up her hand. Professor Umbridge turned away from her.

"It is my understanding that my predecessor not only performed illegal curses in front of you, he actually performed them on you."

"Well, he turned out to be a maniac, didn't he?" said Dean hotly. "Mind you, we still learned loads."

"Your hand is not up, Mr. Thomas!" trilled Professor Umbridge. "Now, it is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be more than sufficient to get you through your examination, which, after all, is what school is all about. And your name is?" she added, staring at a girl from Gryffindor, whose hand had just shot up.

"Parvati Patil, and isn't there a practical bit in our Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL? Aren't we supposed to show that we can actually do the counter-curses and things?"

_OWL? We're going to be tested on this? And we won't be able to practice this? _My ticked offness rose a bit more.

"As long as you have studied the theory hard enough, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled examination conditions," said Professor Umbridge dismissively.

"Without ever practicing them beforehand?" said Parvati incredulously. "Are you telling us that the first time we'll get to do the spells will be during our exam?"

"I repeat, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough -"

"And what good's theory going to be in the real world?" said Harry loudly, his fist in the air again.

Professor Umbridge looked up.

"This is school, Mr. Potter, not the real world," she said softly.

"So we're not supposed to be prepared for what's waiting for us out there?"

"There is nothing waiting out there, Mr. Potter."

_Of course there is! Are you kidding me? _ I mentally yelled. Angry viens appeared on my forehead as I grew more and more pissed off. Rukia gave me a look saying, _don't you dare try anything, I will murder you,_ which I brushed off.

"Oh, yeah?" said Harry, feeling the same as me.

"Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?" enquired Professor Umbridge in a horribly honeyed voice.

_Hmm, let me guess, Aizen, the people of Hell, and hollows? _ Angrier, angrier.

"Hmm, let's think…" said Harry in a mock thoughtful voice. "Maybe… Lord Voldemort!"

Ron gasped; Lavender Brown uttered a little scream; Neville slipped sideways off his stool. Professor Umbridge, however, did not flinch. She was staring at Harry with a grimly satisfied expression on her face.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter."

What? Just for saying a name? That would be like screaming everytime Aizen was mentioned!

The classroom was silent and still. Everyone was staring at either Umbridge or Harry.

That's it. I stood up, slamming my hands on the desk, and the focus switched to me.

"Are you kidding me?" I said angrily, ignoring Rukia's attempts to quiet me down. "So, you beleive that you shouldn't be teaching defenses to us because nothing's going to happen in class. _But what about outside of class?_ No," I sent Umbridge a glare, and she snapped her mouth shut. "Don't interupt me. I've been attacked so many times, I can't count on my hands any more. Just because this Moldywarts guy (a few gasps) is supposedly back in action doesn't mean that he's the only baddy out there. Obviously his old followers, new beleivers, other dark wizards, and many others can be dangerous and 'evil'! My job is to protect, and if you say we don't need to learn this stuff here and now, than your going against me." I sent her a glare, still standing.

"Mr. Kurosaki, sit down this instant!" She said stiffly in a high pitched voice. I didn't realize she already knew my name until after class.

"If you think we're going to get the information from a book then you're wrong, _baka sensei_. Practice makes permanent, and if it were possibly to only have to read or hear about a special move or spell, then I would be so much stronger than I was now. Are you stupid? Wait, don't answer that. Do you think _we're_ stupid?_ Gama, _that's-"

"Mr. Kurosaki stop that right now! A detention for tonight!" The toad sang out shrilly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, _Gama_. I'll make sure to tell all the bad people I know not to attack students ever again, but then again, you're telling us that they would never, ever, think of doing that. Aizen woul've agreed in a heartbeat" I sent her a mix of my signature scowl and glare at the same time.

"Ichigo, sit down, she's just trying to get you worked up!" Rukia hissed to me.

"Mr. Kurosaki, dentiontion for the week! Take this slip up to your head of house and leave my classroom! Now!" Umbrige's voice rose several octaves and scribbled something on a pink slip of paper.

"Strawberry, why do always have to make trouble?"

"Sorry Rukia, but I won't let somebody like that spread fake lies." My voice went louder at the end of the sentence. Walking up I raised a hand. "_Ja ne, Rukia."_

_"Baka,"_ she muttered, shaking her head with a slight smile on her face.

"Stop loitering Kurosaki, now!" Pink almost hissed as she shoved the slip at me.

"_Yare Yare, Gaki. _I'm hurrying." Craking my neck with one last glare, I walked out of the classroom, slamming the door.

Deciding not to go to McGonagall-sensei's just yet, I leaned against the wall next to the door to listen to their conversation.

"Now, let me make a few things quite plain."

I could just see Professor Umbridge stand up and lean towards the class, her stubby-fingered hands splayed on her desk.

"You have been told that a certain Dark wizard has returned from the dead -"

"He wasn't dead," said Harry angrily, "but yeah, he's returned!"

'"Mr-Potter-you-have-already-lost-your-house-ten-points-do-not-make-matters-worse-for yourself," said Professor Umbridge in one breath. "As I was saying, you have been informed that a certain Dark wizard is at large once again. This is a lie."

"It is NOT a lie!" said Harry. "I saw him, I fought him!"

"Detention, Mr. Potter!" said Professor Umbridge triumphantly. "Tomorrow evening. Five o'clock. My office. I repeat, this is a lie. The Ministry of Magic guarantees that you are not in danger from any Dark wizard. If you are still worried, by all means come and see me outside class hours. If someone is alarming you with fibs about reborn Dark wizards, I would like to hear about it. I am here to help. I am your friend. And now, you will kindly continue your reading. Page five, 'Basics for Beginners'."

"So, according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord, did he?" Harry asked, his voice shaking.

There was a collective intake of breath from the class. Someone died?

"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident," she said coldly.

"It was murder," said Harry. "Voldemort killed him and you know it."

Professor Umbridge's was quiet for a moment. Then she said, in her softest, most sweetly girlish voice, "Come here, Mr. Potter, dear."

I strained to hear something, all I could was the crinkling of paper. I assumed Harry got a slip too.

"Take this to Professor McGonagall, dear," said Professor Umbridge, and Harry slammed the classroom door shut behind him. He walked very fast along the corridor, the note to McGonagall clutched tight in his hand.

"Oi! Harry! Wait up!" I said, jumping into action.

He had already turned the corner so I scrambled to catch up to him. I saw him standing next to a wide-mouthed little man floating on his back in midair, juggling several inkwells**.**

I did a double take, was this supposed to be a ghost? Only ghosts could float... But this 'ghost' didn't have chain of fate either.

"Why it's Potty Wee Potter!" cackled the ghost, allowing two of the inkwells to fall to the ground where they smashed and spattered the walls with ink; Harry jumped backwards out of the way with a snarl.

"Get out of it, Peeves."

"Harry!" I said, but he didn't seem to hear me (or see me, what was I, a ghost?).

"Oooh, Crackpot's feeling cranky," said Peeves, pursuing Harry along the corridor, leering as he zoomed along above him. "What is it this time, my fine Potty friend? Hearing voices? Seeing visions? Speaking in -" Peeves blew a gigantic raspberry "— tongues?"

"I said, leave me ALONE!" Harry shouted, running down the nearest flight of stairs, but Peeves merely slid down the banister on his back beside him.

"OI!" I shouted, completely pissed off. The ghost stopped, but Harry didn't.

"You're a ghost, right?" I asked with angry tick marks throbbing on my forehead.

"Peeves the poltergeist at your service!" He cackled, swooping down into a bow. "What can I do for you, orangey-borangey?"

"Orangey...borangey?"

"Yessir! Would you like to make that berry borangey? I have some hair dye riiiiiiiiiiiight here!" Peeves said and took out some more inkwells.

I grabbed him by the collar and growled, "Who's a berry?"

"Y-you can touch me-" He started, taken aback. But then, he acted unfazed. "Hoohoohooo! Berry can touch me, wierd berry! Are you a bluuuuuuuuuuuuuuueberry? A raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaspberry? A straaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawberry?" the poltergeist drawled with a mad grin on his face.

"Urusai." I said, annoyed. "How 'bout I send you to the soul society, eh? Ehehehehe, who's laughing now?" I grinned in triumph.

Peeves looked even more taken aback and squirmed out of my grip. He ran away, muttering, "Scary berry scary berry!"

"Ichigo?" Harry asked, walking out from behind the corner. "The only person who can do that is the Bloody Baron." He was more confused then angry, now that I took his mind off of Gama.

"Eh, er, well-" I was saved from answering as a flustered looking McGonagall swooped out of her classroom.

"What on Earth is causing this ruckus? Potter, Kurosaki, why aren't you in class?"

"We've been sent to see you," said Harry stiffly.

"Sent? What do you mean, sent?"

"From Umbrige," I scowled, giving her my slip.

"Potter, Kurosaki, in my office please." She said stiffly.

"Well?" said Professor McGonagall, rounding on him. "Is this true?"

She was obviously addressing Harry, so I didn't reply and decided to stay out of the conversation.

"Is what true?" Harry asked, rather more aggressively than he had intended. "Professor?" he added, in an attempt to sound more polite.

"Is it true that you shouted at Professor Umbridge?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"You called her a liar?"

"Yes."

"You told her He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back?"

"Yes."

Professor McGonagall sat down behind her desk, watching Harry closely. Then she said, "Have a biscuit, Potter."

I blinked. _What? Sudden change of character..._

"You too Kurosaki."

I warily reached into the tin and grabbed a cookie.

"Have - what?"

"Have a biscuit," she repeated impatiently, indicating a tartan tin of cookies lying on top of one of the piles of papers on her desk. "And sit down."

Now she was back to addressing Potter, so I just ate the corner of my cookie quietly.

"Potter, you need to be careful."

"Misbehavior in Dolores Umbridge's class could cost you much more than house points and a detention."

"What do you -?"

"Potter, use your common sense," snapped Professor McGonagall, with an abrupt return to her usual manner. "You know where she comes from, you must know to whom she is reporting."

The ministry, right? I learned that much from her speech (Okay, Rukia told me). She's a ministry spy.

The bell rang for the end of the lesson. Overhead and all around came the elephantine sounds of hundreds of students on the move.

"It says here she's given you both detention every evening this week, starting tomorrow," Professor McGonagall said, looking down at Umbridge's note again.

I nodded, "Yea, just for-"

She sent me a chilling look and I cut off abrubtly.

"Every evening this week!" Harry repeated, horrified. "But, Professor, couldn't you -?"

"No, I couldn't," said Professor McGonagall flatly.

"But -"

"She is your teacher and has every right to give you detention. You will go to her room at five o'clock tomorrow for the first one. Just remember: tread carefully around Dolores Umbridge."

"But I was telling the truth!" said Harry, outraged. "Voldemort is back, you know he is; Professor Dumbledore knows he is -"

I attempeted to speak again but got another look. My mouth snapped shut.

"For heaven's sake, Potter!" said Professor McGonagall, straightening her glasses angrily (she had winced horribly when he had used Voldemort's name).

"Do you really think this is about truth or lies? It's about keeping your head down and your temper under control!"

She stood up, nostrils wide and mouth very thin, and Harry stood up, too.

"Have another biscuit," she said irritably, thrusting the tin at him.

"No, thanks," said Harry coldly.

"Don't be ridiculous," she snapped.

He took one.

"Thanks," he said grudgingly.

"Didn't you listen to Dolores Umbridge's speech at the start-of-term feast, Potter?"

"Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah… she said… progress will be prohibited or… well, it meant that… that the Ministry of Magic is trying to interfere at Hogwarts."

Professor McGonagall eyed him closely for a moment, then sniffed, walked around her desk and held open the door for him.

"Well, I'm glad you listen to Hermione Granger at any rate," she said, pointing him out of her office.

"You are dismissed, Potter."

"Okay, Proffesor." He said glumly.

I attempted to get up and leave but the Sensei said, "Stop, Kurosaki, I need to tak with you."

Harry mouthed a, "_Good luck mate_." and left her office.

I sat back down in the chair. "What, sensei?"

"It also says here that you called Proffesor Umbrige out on her views and that she was wrong, you verbally attacked your teacher."

"What?" I said, sitting up in my seat. "Verbally attacking her, no! I just explained how she got it wrong, and about...the magical...practices..."

I sat back down at the look I was being given from McGonagall from over her glasses.

"Kurosaki, Umbrige works for the ministry, I assume you know that?"

I nodded and she resumed.

"Umbrige has the means to investigate each and every student in this school, knowing all about their backrounds. Shh!" she said, cutting me off. "Don't interupt me! Now, as I was saying, this means she could find out about you in a heartbeat- if you were from Britain. But you are not, you are Japanese. Therefore it would take longer for her to find out information, but nevertheless, she could. All Proffesor Dumbledore's most trusted Proffesors know about the foreign exchange group's secret, and we can't have Proffesor Umbrige know about that, at all costs."

"I know that," I said indignantly. "It's just she went against my views and real life experiances-"

"Mr. Kurosaki, you will behave in her class. Now, you also have a detention each night this week, so you must have really said something. You will go to her office tonight and each night of the week- _no objections_- and do whatever she instructs you too. Dismissed."

I sighed and sat up, leaving her office. The bell had already rung a while ago, so that made me a bit behind schedule.

_**"Remember Kingy, I'm always here if you want to release some steam, I'd get Frogs Legs pretty good. Remember, I'll be here, ready to take control~You know you want to~"** _With a hissing laugh the hollow's voice exited my head and disappeared into the back of my subconcous.

* * *

**A/N- Okay, I know, that was a FAIL of a chapter, the IchigoxUmbrige fight was so weak. OTL. But anyways, The detention's next chapter, so prepare for some Shiro action!  
:D**

**Hpforlife7**

**PS. THIS IS IMPORTANT SO HERE ARE SOME CAPS. I am looking for a Beta, as I am horrible checking my work afterwords (if you hadn't noticed.) So please PM me if you are interested! ~!**

**Oh yeah, GAMA means toad (or Frog) in japanese~**


	7. Chapter 7 The Witch's Lair

**A/N**-** Me own Nothing.**

**Ichigo POV**

By the way **"..." ** is zanpaktō

And _**"..." **_is inner hollow (Hichigo Shirosaki)

Warning: Shiro swears a tiny bit in here.

* * *

I was almost dreading dinner in the Great Hall. Rukia will probably have already told the rest abouot my shouting match with Umbridge, so Tōshirō was sure to give me an earful. So I sat down, noticing that Rukia wasn't there, and started to pile mashed potatoes onto my plate. Right as I was taking a bite, I was wacked on the head, Hiyori style.

"Hiy-" I started to say, but then turned to see black hair. "Oi, Rukia what was that for?"

"I told you not to yell at her," she said, sitting down next to me, "But baka Strawberry didn't listen to me. I've already informed Tōshirō and the rest of the group." Rukia gave a little smirk.

I flinched and shoved another mouthful in my mouth. Hopefully he wouldn't come over, and that meant that he wouldn't-

"Kurosaki."

Speak of the devil.

"I heard of your performance in Defense Against the Dark Arts today." Tōshirō said icily.

"Ah, yea, wasn't I awesome? Wow, look at the time, I better go do homework before detention!" Hurridly, I got up, and made a show of walking cooly down the isle of the Great Hall. I didn't have detention today, but Tōshirō didn't know that.

"Kurosaki!" He called, and I steadfastly ignored him.

Leaving the hall and reaching the Gryffindor hall, I said "Mimbulus Mimbletonia" to the portrait and walked in.

Over to the side were the two red heads, Fred and George, who were being scolded by an angry Hermione. In her hands was a clipboard and a bag of candy. Wierd combination. Deciding I should do my homework before going to bed, I did the essay on giant wars.

After doing all my work, I went to bed, ready for tomorrow's dentention.

* * *

The following day dawned just as leaden and rainy as the previous one. Down at the breakfast table, I sat down next to Rukia while ignoring the glares from the Ravenclaw table. We ate breakfast in silence, conversations were sparse, as I drank my coffee. Gathering our stuff, Rukia and I walked together to Double Charms.

"So, to get to Divination you followed a portrait of a knight?" Rukia asked me dubiously.

"Yes." I said stubbornly, annoyed. "That's what I just said."

"I-eek!" Rukia made a wierd noise as she tripped down the charms corridor.

Moving into the stance out of reflex, I caught her as she fell.

Suddenly my face was tinged in pink and I helped her up. Rukia dusted herself off, also pink, and we waled the rest of the hall in silence.

"L-let's just get to charms," she stuttered.

We walked the remaining bit in silence.

Right after I sat down in Charms, the chibi Proffesor started talking.

"What you must remember," said little Professor Flitwick squeakily perched as ever on a pile of books so that he could see over the top of his desk, "is that these examinations may influence your futures for many years to come! If you have not already given serious thought to your careers, now is the time to do so. And in the meantime, I'm afraid, we shall be working harder than ever to ensure that you all do yourselves justice! So this means each week we will review spells from each year, up until fifth, so that each and every one of you will know how to do these spells! And don't think we'll start with the easy stuff, today we will practise summoning charms as I am sure they will come up on you O.W.L.'s.

I groaned, reviewing for five weeks? Well, it would be better for me (and Rukia, Ishida, Inoue, well, the rest of the group in fifth year) as I had never encountered this spell work before. I was only good with Getsuga Tensho's, and the barest amount of Kido.

The rest of the class was spent practicing summoning charms, and I succeeded the first try, but failed all the rest. _Isn't that, er, a bit reversed?_

Next I was off to Transfiguration (no talking during the walk with there with Rukia for some reason) and she basically gave us the exact same speech as the Charms proffesor had before.

"You cannot pass an OWL," said Professor McGonagall grimly, "without serious application, practice and study. I see no reason why everybody in this class should not achieve an OWL in Transfiguration as long as they put in the work."

Neville made a sad little disbelieving noise.

"Yes, you too, Longbottom," said Professor McGonagall. "There's nothing wrong with your work except lack of confidence. So… today we are starting vanishing spells. These are easier than conjuring spells, which you would not usually attempt until NEWT level, but they are still among the most difficult magic you will be tested on in your OWL."

So, we all started to practive vanishing spells, which I found weren't particularly hard. I vanished mine on the second try, and Hermione the third time, so we earned a total of twenty points for Gryffindor. Hermione looked slightly huffy though that someone had performed the spell better than her. I could see my classmates struggling, especially the Gryffindor boys. Rukia vanished hers on the seventh try, making me brag about it, just a bit.

"Wow, it took you _seven_ tries? It only took me two, and I'm horrible at this stuff!"

"Oh, shut it Strawberry."

We were sharing a class with the Hufflepuffs, and I noticed Inoue was having a bad time, so I gave her a smile and she returned it with her usual energy. Hinamori and I shared a look, and she nodded then turned away.

Hermione and me were the only people not given homework; everybody else was told to practice the spell overnight, ready for a fresh attempt on their snails the following afternoon.

Now panicking slightly about the amount of homework they had to do, Harry and Ron spent their lunch hour in the library looking up the uses of moonstones in potion-making. Hermione did not join them, and decided to talk with Rukia for the whole lunch hour. I talked with Dean and Seamus, and Dean told me about the time Seamus had blown up his goblet. So, in return, I told them a story about my dad, basically how he woke me up and how the goat-chin was so obsessed with the girls of the family.

After I finished lunch, Seamus, Dean, and I walked down to Care of Magical Creatures, the sharpness to the air refreshing me. The day had become cool and breezy, and as we walked down the sloping lawn towards the cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, I felt the occasional drop of rain on my face. Professor Grubbly-Plank stood waiting for the class some ten yards from the front door, a long trestle table in front of her laden with twigs. A loud shout of laughter sounded behind them; turning, they saw Draco Malfoy striding towards them, surrounded by his usual gang of Slytherin cronies. He had clearly just said something highly amusing, because Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy Parkinson and the rest continued to snigger heartily as they gathered around the trestle table and, judging by the way they all kept looking over at Harry, I was able to guess the subject of the joke without too much difficulty. Idiots.

_**"If you want, I can go and smash there heads together for you?"**_

_No, Shiro, you don't have to do that._ I sighed, elicting small stares from the people next to me.

"Everyone here?" barked Professor Grubbly-Plank, once all the Slytherins and Gryffindors had arrived. "Let's crack on then. Who can tell me what these things are called?"

She indicated the heap of twigs in front of her. Hermione's hand shot into the air. Behind her back, Malfoy did a buck-toothed imitation of her jumping up and down in eagerness to answer a question**. **

I shrugged my shoulders angrily,_ that-_

_**"Come on King, let me, it'll be fine!"**_

I really wouldn't have minded it, but I shook my head anyways. I couldn't let everyone freak out at the sight of me crazed, and there was _no way_ I was letting Shirosaki run rampant around in my body.

I knew he was pouting, making me smirk.

Pansy Parkinson gave a shriek of laughter that turned almost at once into a scream, as the twigs on the table leapt into the air and revealed themselves to be what looked like tiny pixieish creatures made of wood, each with knobbly brown arms and legs, two branchlike fingers at the end of each hand and a funny flat, barklike face in which a pair of beetle-brown eyes glittered.

"Oooooh!" said Parvati and Lavender, exited. _Uhm, they're just sticks?_

"Kindly keep your voices down, girls!" said Professor Grubbly-Plank sharply, scattering a handful of what looked like brown rice among the stick-creatures, who immediately fell upon the food. "So - anyone know the names of these creatures? Miss Granger?"

"Bowtruckles," said Hermione. "They're tree-guardians, usually live in wand-trees."

"Five points for Gryffindor," said Professor Grubbly-Plank. "Yes, these are Bowtruckles, and as Miss Granger rightly says, they generally live in trees whose wood is of wand quality. Anybody know what they eat?"

"Woodlice," said Hermione promptly which explained why what I had taken to be grains of brown rice were moving. "But fairy eggs if they can get them."

"Good girl, take another five points. So, whenever you need leaves or wood from a tree in which a Bowtruckle lodges, it is wise to have a gift of woodlice ready to distract or placate it. They may not look dangerous, but if angered they will try to gouge at human eyes with their fingers, which, as you can see, are very sharp and not at all desirable near the eyeballs. So if you'd like to gather closer, take a few woodlice and a Bowtruckle - I have enough here for one between three - you can study them more closely. I want a sketch from each of you with all body-parts labeled by the end of the lesson."

I was pushed forward with the rest of the class towards the table, and so Seamus, Dean, and I became partners. I noticed Harry slip out and go around towards the front, so I muttered a quick, "be right back" and left the group. Following Harry to the teacher, I casually blended into the crowd to listen to what he was going to say.

"Where's Hagrid?" he asked her, while everyone else was choosing Bowtruckles.

"Never you mind," said Professor Grubbly-Plank repressively.

Smirking all over his pointed face, Draco Malfoy leaned across Harry and seized the largest Bowtruckle.

"Maybe," said Malfoy in an undertone, so thinking that only Harry could hear him (but I could too, I had better hearing than that) , "the stupid great oaf's got himself badly injured."

"Maybe you will if you don't shut up," said Harry out of the side of his mouth.

"Maybe he's been messing with stuff that's too big for him, if you get my drift."

'Messing with stuff that's too big for him?' What was this "Hagrid" up to?

Malfoy walked away, smirking over his shoulder at Harry. I chose that moment to walk back over to my group as I found that Harry was about to look in my direction.

For the rest of the class I drew and talked with my partners. Glad to get rid of the Slytherins for a bit, I walked down to the Greenhouses with the trio in front of me, whispering about something hairy.

Making it to the greenhouse some of the fourth year Ravenclaws spilled out, and I immediatly noticed that Luna girl from the train and Tōshirō talking together. When she saw Harry, though, her prominent eyes seemed to bulge excitedly and she made a beeline straight for him. Many of his classmates turned curiously to watch. Luna took a great breath and then said, without so much as a preliminary hello, "I believe He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back and I believe you fought him and escaped from him."

Tōshirō walked up behind and nodded. "Kurosaki."

I turned to him. "Eh? Does little Shirō have a girl friend?"

The captain stuttered indignantly. "S-she may be a girl, and a friend, but we are not involved in any relationship like that!"

"Er - right," said Harry awkwardly. Luna was wearing what looked like a pair of orange radishes for earrings, a fact that Parvati and Lavender seemed to have noticed, as they were both giggling and pointing at her earlobes.

"She's er, a bit wierd for you, don't you think?" I whispered to the captain.

"You can laugh," Luna said, her voice rising, apparently under the impression that Parvati and Lavender were laughing at what she had said rather than what she was wearing, "but people used to believe there were no such things as the Blibbering Humdinger or the Crumple-Horned Snorkack!"

"Well, they were right, weren't they?' said Hermione impatiently. "There weren't any such things as the Blibbering Humdinger or the Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

Luna gave her a withering look and flounced away, grabbing Tōshirō's hand and dragging him away, ishes swinging madly Parvati and Lavender were not the only ones hooting with laughter now.

"D'you mind not offending the only people who believe me?" Harry asked Hermione as they made their way into class.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Harry, you can do better than her," said Hermione. "Ginny's told me all about her; apparently, she'll only believe in things as long as there's no proof at all. Well, I wouldn't expect anything else from someone whose father runs The Quibbler."

_The Quibbler? Not even going to ask._ I thought as I entered the Greenhouse.

To nobody's surprise, Professor Sprout started their lesson by lecturing them about the importance of OWLs. Professor Sprout gave them yet another essay at the end of class. Tired and smelling strongly of dragon dung, Professor Sprout's preferred type of fertilizer, the Gryffindors trooped back up to the castle an hour and a half later, none of them talking very much; it had been another long day.

I quickly dumped my stuff into the common room and hurried to the Great Hall, hoping to get some food in me before detention. I noted that Harry did the same. He quickly walked out of the Common Room and up towards yours truly.

"Hey, er, thanks for sticking up for me during Defense Against The Dark Arts." He said to me.

"I wasn't sticking up for you." I scowled.

"Oh..." Harry trailed off and turned away.

Realizing what I actually said, I attempted that again. "Well, I actually kinda was, Umbrige unfairly took points against you and pointed out that what we said was false, meaning we should be helpless little five year olds in her eyes."

"Really?" he looked up. "Or are you just saying that?" The end was bitter.

"No, Gama was going against my values, and took points away from you _ for saying a name._ I mean seriously?"

"...What does Gama mean?" Harry asked as he took a seat in the Hall and started piling food on his plate.

"Oh, it means toad in Japanese."

Harry choked on his Sheperds Pie and gave a strangled laugh (due to not swallowing right). Grinning he said, "I'm going to use that name much more now."

I grinned back at him and shoveled down my mash potatoes (one of the only good foods here).

Checking my (Japanese kanji) watch I saw it was around quarter to five. I told Harry that, and he glanced down at his watch, sadly at his food, and stood up. We started down until we were met with a girl I knew as Angelina Johnson.

"Oy, Potter." She said, ticked off.

"What now?" he muttered wearily, turning to face Angelina, who looked as though she was in a towering temper.

"I'll tell you what now," she said, marching straight up to him and poking him hard in the chest with her finger. "How come you've landed yourself in detention for five o'clock on Friday?"

"What?" said Harry. "Why… oh yeah, Keeper tryouts!"

"Now he remembers!" snarled Angelina. "Didn't I tell you I wanted to do a tryout with the whole team, and find someone who fitted in with everyone! Didn't I tell you I'd booked the Quidditch pitch specially? And now you've decided you're not going to be there!"

"Oi," I echoed. "Harry didn't _decide_ to land in detention, Umbridge put him there, for stupid reasons too. So don't go accusing him of _wanting _ to be in detention rather than at.. Keeper tryouts, because I'm sure you wouldn't do that, either."

She looked thoroughly taken aback at that, but seemed to recover almost instantly as Harry spoke again.

"I didn't decide not to be there!" said Harry, giving me a nod, stung by the injustice of these words. "I got detention from that Umbridge woman, just because I told her the truth about You-Know-Who."

"Well, you can just go straight to her and ask her to let you off on Friday," said Angelina fiercely, "and I don't care how you do it. Tell her You-Know-Who's a figment of your imagination if you like, just make sure you're there!"

She turned on her heel and stormed away.

"Er, let's go." I said out of place, and we walked towards the entrance / exit of the Great Hall. Harry obviously spotted Ronald and Hermione, so he walked over to them.

"You know what?" Harry said to Ron and Hermione as the prefects entered the Great Hall. "I think we'd better check with Puddlemere United whether Oliver Wood's been killed during a training session, because Angelina seems to be channeling his spirit. She wants me to ask Umbrige to let me off for tryouts!"

"What d'you reckon are the odds of Umbridge letting you off on Friday?" said Ron skeptically, as he stopped walking to talk.

"Less than zero," said Harry glumly. "Better try, though, hadn't I? I'll offer to do two more detentions or something, I dunno…"

"Come on Harry!" I called to him, and he quickly hurried back to me. With that, we walked to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, or Umbrige's lair.

* * *

Harry and I made our way to the third floor. When he knocked on the door she called, "Come in," in a sugary voice. He entered cautiously, looking around. The surfaces had all been draped in lacy covers and cloths. There were several vases full of dried flowers, each one residing on its own doily, and on one of the walls was a collection of ornamental plates, each decorated with a large technicolor kitten wearing a different bow around its neck. These were so foul that Harry stared at them, transfixed, until Professor Umbridge spoke again.

"Yumichika would faint," I muttered before she could.

_**"Heh, Kingy, it looks like somebody puked Pepto Bismal all over the place and used kittens as the mops. Oh, then had a five year old scribble pink crayons all over it. What you think, Zangestu?"** _My hollow grinned, and I felt that he was strutting around my innerworld to meet the Old Man.

**"...It does not look pleasant."** Was all he said, and it was the first time I had heard him talk in a while.

_Shut up, the toad's trying to talk!_

**_"Mneh."  
_**

"Good evening, Mr. Potter, Mr. Kurosaki."

I started and looked around. I hadn't noticed her at first because she was wearing a luridly flowered set of robes that blended only too well with the tablecloth on the desk behind her.

"Evening, Professor Umbridge," Harry said stiffly, which I echo'd boredly.

"Well, sit down," she said, pointing towards a small table draped in lace beside which she had drawn up a straight-backed chair. A piece of blank parchment lay on the table, apparently waiting for him.

"Er," said Harry, without moving. "Professor Umbridge. Er - before we start, I - I wanted to ask you a… a favor."

Her bulging eyes narrowed.

"Oh, yes?"

"Well, I'm… I'm in the Gryffindor Quidditch team. And I was supposed to be at the tryouts for the new Keeper at five o'clock on Friday and I was - was wondering whether I could skip detention that night and do it - do it another night… instead…"

I knew long before he reached the end of his sentence that it was no good.

"Oh, no," said Umbridge, smiling so widely that she looked as though she had just swallowed a particularly juicy fly. "Oh, no, no, no. This is your punishment for spreading evil, nasty, attention-seeking stories, Mr. Potter, and punishments certainly cannot be adjusted to suit the guilty one's convenience. No, you will come here at five o'clock tomorrow, and the next day, and on Friday too, and you will do your detentions as planned. I think it rather a good thing that you are missing something you really want to do. It ought to reinforce the lesson I am trying to teach you."

_Why that little-_

**"Ichigo, calm down. Nothing good comes of anger."**

Sighing, I stopped my malicious thoughts and payed attention to what would happen next.

Harry dropped his school bag onto the chair and sat down. I glanced at the chair, then did the same.

"There," said Umbridge sweetly, "we're getting better at controlling our temper already, aren't we? Now, you are going to be doing some lines for me, Mr. Potter. No, not with your quill," she added, as Harry bent down to open his bag. "You're going to be using a rather special one of mine. Here you are."

_A quill?_ I hated those things. It's not medieval times, it's called a pen!

She handed Harry and me a long, thin black quill with an unusually sharp point.

"I want you to write, Mr. Potter, I must not tell lies," she told him softly.

"How many times?" Harry asked, with a creditable imitation of politeness.

"Oh, as long as it takes for the message to sink in," said Umbridge sweetly.

"And for you, Mr. Kurosaki, I wish you to write, I will not be disruptive." She said, with fake happiness dripping from her voice. "Same for you."

"Off you go."

She moved over to her desk, sat down and bent over a stack of parchment that looked like essays for marking. Harry raised the sharp black quill, then realized what was missing.

"You haven't given me any ink," he said.

"Oh, you won't need ink," said Professor Umbridge, with the merest suggestion of a laugh in her voice.

I had already touched the quill to the paper, and red ink spilled out. _Good, _ I thought. _Just like a pen, built in ink._

I started to write "I will not be disruptive" when the only words that came out were "I will" in red, "not be" in pink, and "disruptive" was just scratched into the paper.

"Er, Proffesor, I ran out of ink." I told the toad.

"W-what?" She said, taken aback. As soon as that expression had appeared, it was gone, and she hand him a thicker black quill. "Off you go, then."

Beside me, Harry placed the point of the quill on the paper and wrote: "I must not tell lies". He let out a gasp of pain.

"Harry?" I asked, whipping my head over to him. He was rubbing the back of his hand, looking suprised. In front of me, Umbrige beamed a Grinchy-smile.

"I-I'm fine..." The Gryffindor replied.

Beleiving the opposite, I stared at him for another second, then went to work with the quill.

'I will not be disruptive' I wrote, the red coming out normally, well, slightly spotted. I felt a quickk stab of pain, and looked down at my right hand. Covering the top of the back of my hand was a small, blue, slightly see-through, reishi shield. Under the guard were the fading words "I will not be disruptive." That witch! She was making us carve out our own skin! I glanced over to Harry, watching him wince as he wrote each line. Appearing over and over were the words "I must not tell lies" on the back of his hand, and I felt a wave of anger pass through me.

"Hem, hem." Umbrige coughed, sending me a look.

Looking back down to the parchment (paper), I started o scribble the words. The red 'ink' shone brightly on the paper, but on the back of my hand was the reishi shield. Apparently Umbrige didn't notice, and Harry was too absorbed in his task.

I watched my hand, and in amazment I saw red letters fly out of the reishi shield and off into space. So, once written, the words wold be dispelled by the shield then fly off... Still, my hand was looking a bit red and puffy.

_******"Shit, what is this? Make that damn thing stop Ichigo!"**_

I looked up, startled. Hichigo never used my name unless he was serious. I sent a worried message, all the while still writing on the paper, to my inner world.

_What's going on in there guys?_

**"Your inner world is in panic, **came Zangetsu's strained voice. **Roof panels and windows are falling off building, trees are being struck down, it is a thunderstorm in here. I fear it is the affects of the blood quill you are holding. We, your hollow and I, are stopping the majority of the pain from reaching you."**

I felt a twinge of pain in my head, this was a great time to get a migrane. _What should I do? I have to keep doing this, or else it'll be suspicous..._

**"Then there is nothing you can do. We need to maintain secrecy here, and you should not expose yourself this early. The reishi shield on your hand is stopping a lot of the dark magic from the blood quill reaching you and cutting into your soul. I fear the boy, Harry, next to you, is not so lucky."**

This made me look to Harry (who was still staring at the paper with a blank expression) and start to worry. I hadn't known him for long, but Harry was still one of my friends. I couldn't let Umbrige do this! I need to protect him from her! If he was receiving the full amount of pain...

**"Relax some, Ichigo. Harry here is not a Shinigami like you, so the damage done by the blood quill is severly undermined compared to yours. Right now, he is feeling much less pain than you." **Came the Old Man's rumbling from my mind.

_Than he is not in as much pain? _I said in releif.

_**"Oi! Stop worrying about other people, it's flipping shit in here! Ow! Damnit, I just almost got hit by lightning! This better stop, or else I'll be giving that witch a piece of my mind!"**_

_Shiro, it's almost over (hopefully). This won't go on for much longer. So shut up and go back into my mind! _I snapped, tick mark appearing on my forehead. I had run through about five sheets by now.

Fifteen sheets and one angry comment from my hollow later, Umbrige stopped us.

"Come here," she said, and I noticed it was dark out.

Harry stood up before me, showing his raw hand to Gama.

"Tut, tut, I don't seem to have made much of an impression yet," she said, smiling. "Well, we'll just have to try again tomorrow evening, won't we? You may go."

Harry walked out of the office without a word.

"And you Mr. Kurosaki?" Umbrige said, sickly sweet.

I shoved out my hand, which, because of the effects of the reishi shield, had no words on it. It was red and looked extremely mangled though, about 10 times worse than Harry's hand.

"Tsk, it hasn't sunk in much at all, has it? I can see some signs, but we'll make improvement tommorow night, yes? You are dismissed." She uttered, turning to look me in the eyes.

Without control of my body, I writhed and leaned in closer to her. _What? This is..._

**_"You, Gama. if you try something like that again, I'll..."_ **Under his influence I sent a wave of dark energy to the wall, shattering her kitten plates. **_"Well, you get what I mean, ne? I hope it wont happen to__ you~"_ **I whispered the last sentance, leaning in even closer, then backing up suddenly. I sent out a strangled laugh after me, feeling my hollow's presence fading. _**"Kesesesesesesese... Be careful next time." **_

The orange and black leeked out of my eyes and returned to the normal brown as I exited the door. Harry was waiting outside for me, and we walked back to the Gryffindor tower in silence.

* * *

Thankfully, I had finished my homework yesterday, so I was not left behind in the early morning common room like Ron and Harry. I made my way to the Great Hall, and plopped down next to Rukia with a tired sigh. I hadn't gotten much sleep last night, as I was in my inner world surveying the damage. It looked like a small town after a large storm. Plus, my hollow was nagging on me for letting him and Umbrige "walk all over me" the night before. I looked up, feeling happy to see Rukia's calm face.

"So what did you do for detention last night?" She asked through a mouthful of cereal, which I found cute.

"Lines." I replied nonchalantly, sipping some orange juice.

"That's not to bad, what did she make you write?" Rukia's black head bobbed down to grab a croissant.

"I will not be disruptive," I mumbled into my food. Disruptive was like my middle name, according to some teachers.

Rukia seemed to agree, as she laughed (making my load lighter) and said, "Wow, Strawberry, that isn't like you at all!"

"My name is Ichigo! Ichigo Kurosaki! Ready? Ee-chee-go Koo-rah-sah-key. Simple!"

Her carefree mood made me fell better, forgetting the previous night's detention.

* * *

**Bleh, only like, 5,600 words in that chapter! Im really letting myself go! I will TRY and update before July 1st, as that is when I will be going to a 6 week summer program. Dont worry, I come back for the weekends! (And the fourth of July but I doubt Ill be able to update)**

**QUESTION~! **

**Should The Golden trio and the Hogwarts group be like, Best Friends, or mutual friends with a lot of questions and suspicions?**

**You can leave the answer in a review or PM if you want~**

**Thanks for being my Beta silverskies87 ! (I actually try to get it like the book, btw. It takes alot of typing, if you're reading this silverskies)**

**-Hpforlife7**


	8. Chapter 8I'll Get You My Redheaded Twins

**A/N Just want to apologize for the horrible ooc ness in this chapter. Me no J.K. Rowling or Tite Kubo**

* * *

My next day wasn't exactly going so good. In all subjects I had, homework was piled on. Not that I couldn't do it all, I just didn't actually want to. Rukia kept on telling me to, "Man up, Ichigo. She only made you do lines so stop moping all over the place."

"Yea, yea." I had said, waving my left hand around, the not-so-mangled one. Harry's hand was red and puffy looking, with the words carved into the back of his hand, while my hand looked extremely disfigured, so I had to wear gloves so Rukia and the others wouldn't get suspicous.

_If I didn't have that reishi sheild,_ I thought to myself, _then how would my hand look now? _

**"It would most likely be much more mangled looking, as well as having the words 'I will not be disruptive' on the back of your hand."** Came Zangetsu's calming voice.

_Then..._ I trailed off, relizing what would've happened. _Thanks, guys._

Zangetsu gave a nod ( I could tell), and Hichigo came back at me with a _**"Yea, I don't want to give that gama the satisfaction, so I didn't do it for you."**_

I snorted and rolled my eyes, causing some of the classroom to look my way.

"Is something funny, Mr. Kurosaki?" McGonagall asked.

"Oh, no, Professor." I replied. _Just some idiot running around in my head._

**_"Hey!"_**

* * *

The second detention was the same as the previous one. If anything, it was a bit better, since I knew what to expect. Umbrige seemed not to notice the small light blue shield around my hand, and Harry was too occupied in what he was doing to look up.

Actually, it seemed like he was purposley being quiet, trying not to say anything, as if he was in a battle of wills against Umbridge. Harry despised her with a passion, while I just didn't like her, that gama.

I glanced over at Harry's hand, it was red and inflamed, but he was holding in the pain well.

It was well past midnight when we were let out, Umbrige 'tsk'-ing my extremly messed up but other wise wordless right hand.

Right away, when we got into the common room we each made a beeline to our bags. Harry pulled out much more homework than me (which I had sacrificed my lunch hour for), and I just pulled out some paper to write down some things about bow truckles for Proffesor Grubbly Plank. I gave Harry a look and said, "I'm going up to bed." He nodded, and looked up at the clock. 1:24 in the morning. Guess who's not getting good sleep tonight?

Thursday passed in a haze of tiredness. Ron and Harry were sleepy too, but I had no idea why Ron would be tired. I did my homework during lunch again, making Rukia extremley curious.

"Detention" was my one word reply.

The third detention was the same as the other two, except a couple hours in Harry's hand started to ooze blood, and Umbrige chose this moment to look up.

"Ah," she said softly, moving around her desk to examine his hand herself. "Good. That ought to serve as a reminder to you, oughtn't it? You may leave for tonight."

"Do I still have to come back tomorrow?" said Harry picking up his schoolbag with his left hand rather than his smarting right one.

"Oh yes," said Professor Umbridge, smiling as widely as before. "Yes, I think we can etch the message a little deeper with another evening's work."

My brow furrowed in anger at her words, that little witch... Harry looked over in my direction, and Umbridge followed his gaze.

"You can stay here, Mr. Kurosaki, the message doesn't seem to have sunk in enough." Her toady face cracked into a grin.

Harry, at that point, glanced over at the hand that was supposed to have words on it, and his mouth opened into a little "o", just for a couple of seconds. Mine certainly didn't have the writing, but it was definetly more beat up than Harry's. My hand looked like it had been run-over several times in a row by a road roller due to Umbridge's detentions.

Scowling, I glanced over at Harry and waved my hand to indicate he should leave. 'I'll be fine,' I mouthed to him.

With a last look in my direction he turned and exited her office.

* * *

After two more hours, I was set free.

"Mr. Kurosaki, there seems to be a problem." Umbridge said sweetly.

"Yes?" I askes through clenched teeth. If I lashed out at her, I'd just get more detentions.

"I don't think that you are _fully_ understanding these lines, so I wish for you to switch hands when writing at your next detention."

_How can I possibly write with the hand that she's killed?_

"I-"

"You can go, Mr. Kurosaki. Be sure not to run into anyone, since curfew is now in action." She obviously meant otherwise.

Fists cleched angrily, I speed-walked out of her classroom, shutting the door with more force than normal. I mean, I would be fine if it was just me in these torture sessions, but Harry's here too!

Sighing, as if a method to calm me, I walked back to the common room, having to wake up the Fat Lady.

"Why can't I just sleep in peace?" She had said, irked.

Immediatly going to bed, not bothering to undress, I didn't notice Harry's eyes on me as I fell asleep.

* * *

At five the next evening, Harry and I made our way to the toad's prison. The walk there was eerily quiet, with Harry occasionally glancing at my hand.

Umbridge turned her face to us, it was split into a sickly sweet smile. "You two know what to do, I assume?"

Gritting my teeth, I sat down, casting a look at Harry. He didn't deserve to be here! He sent one last look at me and was quiet the rest of the night, refusing to bend to Umbridge's will.

I didn't either, I still wrote with the same hand. _Kami, it'll be hard to wield Zangetsu..._ I realised.

Suddenly, my ears tuned in onto a dripping sound. Looking over, I saw Harry's hand was leaking out more and more blood. My blood on the other hand, turned to fire. I was ready to get up and-

"Let's see if you've gotten the message yet, shall we?" said Umbridges soft voice, interrupting me. She moved towards Harry, stretching out her short ringed fingers for his arm. And then, as she took hold of him to examine the words now cut into his skin, Harry wrenched his arm out of her grip and leapt to his feet, staring at her. She looked back at him, a smile stretching her wide, slack mouth.

"Harry?" I asked, jumping up too.

"Yes, it hurts, doesn't it?" she said softly, dismissing my words.

He did not answer.

"Well, I think I've made my point, Mr. Potter, Mr. Kurosaki. You may go."

Harry raced out of the classroom without a word, and I quickly followed.

"Harry, what happened?" I asked angrily.

"Nothing." Was his stubborn reply.

"Obviously it was something, what was it?"

Harry winced a bit, then mumbled, "My scar hurt."

I would've asked what that meant, but he climbed into the potrait hole before I could let a word escape my mouth.

Quickly following him, I was met with a loud roar of sound. Red and gold was everywhere, even more so then usual. Harry stumbled back a bit, stepping onto my toes. Ron had embraced him with a "Harry, I did it! I'm keeper!"

"What? Oh - brilliant!" said Harry, sounding strained. Most likely because his hand was still bleeding.

"Have a Butterbeer." Ron pressed a bottle on him. "I can't believe it - where's Hermione gone?"

"She's there," said Twin #1 (who could have been the one called Fred), also swigging Butterbeer, and pointed to an armchair by the fire. Hermione was dozing in it, her drink tipping precariously in her hand.

"Well, she said she was pleased when I told her," said Ron, looking slightly put out.

"Let her sleep," said Twin #2 hastily. His tone was so Renji-like I knew something was up.

Upon closer inspection I noticed a lot of young kids with nose bleeds. I gave a strangled laugh, like a mixture of a groan and a laugh at the same time.

After noticing the girl who yelled about quidditch, I decided not to stick around any longer. I plopped down onto a chair near Hermione, taking out some last minute homework. Where was Rukia, though?

Distracting my train of thought was Harry, who had sat down right next to Hermione. They started talking about hats, for some reason.

"...You're worried You- Know-Who's controlling her like he controlled Quirrell?" I heard. Controlling? You-Know-Who?

I leaned in, getting an interest in this new conversation. Almost as if Harry had heard me, his voice lowered.

"Well," said Harry,"it's a possibility, isn't it?"

"I suppose so," said Hermione, though she sounded unconvinced. "But I don't think he can be possessing her the way he possessed Quirrell, I mean, he's properly alive again now, isn't he, he's got his own body, he wouldn't need to share someone else's. He could have her under the Imperius Curse, I suppose…"

Imperius curse, the one where you controlled said person that the spell was cast on?

Then Hermione said, after a pause, "But last year your scar hurt when nobody was touching you, and didn't Dumbledore say it had to do with what You-Know-Who was feeling at the time? I mean, maybe this hasn't got anything to do with Umbridge at all, maybe it's just coincidence it happened while you were with her?"

She's evil," said Harry flatly. "Twisted."

Exactly.

"She's horrible, yes, but… Harry, I think you ought to tell Dumbledore your scar hurt."

My brow twisted, what was so important about his scar hurting?

"I'm not bothering him with this. Like you just said, its not a big deal. It's been hurting on and off all summer - it was just a bit worse tonight, that's all -"

"Harry, I'm sure Dumbledore would want to be bothered by this -"

"Yeah," said Harry, "that's the only bit of me Dumbledore cares about, isn't it, my scar?"

That was wrong, from what I know, Dumbledore really does care for Harry. In a wierd old person way.

"Don't say that, it's not true!"

"I think I'll write and tell Sirius about it, see what he thinks -"

"Harry, you can't put something like that in a letter!" said Hermione, sounding alarmed. "Don't you remember, Moody told us to be careful what we put in writing! We just can't guarantee owls aren't being intercepted any more!"

"All right, all right, I won't tell him, then!" said Harry irritably. He got to his feet. "I'm going to bed. Tell Ron for me, will you?"

Hermione frowned and said, "Alright, I'm thinking of going up soon too. I can't stand all this quidditch talk. Is that all you boys talk about?"

Sirius, Sirius? Where have I heard that name before? Having no answer stick out, I decided to return to the previous task of searching for the raven haired midget. Spotting a darker hair color, I made my way through the mass of red and gold over towards the roaring fireplace. There I bumped into the twins, who each gave me a grin simultaniously and grabbed either sides of my arm. I groaned.

"Well hello-" One started.

"There-" The other finished.

"Kurosaki-"

"It's been-"  
"Ages!"

"Whatd'you want?" I asked irratably.

"Oh not much-"

"We just wanted-"

"You to try-"

"Some sweets!-"

"From the kitchen!"  
"Quite right sir, you look-"

"Absolutely famished!"

"Here!" They chorused, holding out a bowl of multicolored sweets.

I narrowed my eyes. "What do they do?"  
"Nothing! Why on Earth would you suspect us?" Twin 2 said innocently.

"For some reason you don't look like the honest type..." I muttered under my breath.

Twin 1 blinked and gave me a pleading look, so I gave in with a sigh.

"Fine," I said as I reached for the closest one, a pale green all the way through taffy.

I popped the sweet into my mouth and the twin redheads grinned in anticipation.

Giving them a look that was ALMOST a smile, I asked, "Is this watermelon?" It reminded me of the days when Yuzu, me, Karin, and Goat-Chin would go to the river and watch the summer fireworks.

"Yessir!" The frist twin soluted. "Thank you very much,sir," the second dipped an invisible hat to me.

"We'll see you in the morrow!" They said as one.

The Weasleys unhanded me and split up, meeting over next to a boy with dread locks. Giving up on finding the only other Gryffindor soul reaper, I followed Harry's lead and went to bed.

* * *

I woke up abrubtly, with a gasp, as I sat straight up in my bed. I had an annoying night, I couldn't remember the dream I had and I woke with the sensation of falling.

_Saturday,_ I thought with a mental sigh of relief. Already the first week had dragged though the dreary English (actually Scottish) air.

My head felt unnaturally heavy, but I brushed it off as a side effect from the mysterious dream.

There was a slight shift of the reatsu in the air, and I turned my head towards the curtains of Harry's bed.

I sank back into the puffed up pillows and narrowed my eyes as the sun's first rays hit my face. I had already opened the drapes around the scarlet four poster, so I noticed when Harry dressed and took his schoolbag down to the common room.

I lay there, savoring the fact that my old man wasn't barging into my room to yell his lungs out as a wake up call. Suddenly, I felt tired, as if I had stayed up all night. I shut my eyes and closed the drapes, then reached out to the left to grsb my charms book. Charms wasn't my strong suit, though I could see Yuzu excelling at it if she attended Hogwarts.

After reading through some chapters, I could hear the muffled chatter of my dorm mates. An extremley close sounding female voice rang out through the dorm saying,

"Strawberry, I'm going down to breakfast so hurry up and meet me there!"

"Hai!" I called back, that was obviously Rukia. As an afterthought, I added a "Midget!" to the end of the response.

She could hear me, as her reatsu fluxuated, then dimmed as she left.

I got up as most of the other boys started to disperse, but Seamus was still dead in bed. I tugged on the robes until I realized that it was Saturday, I could wear whatever I wanted. I wore my usual tight fitting black longsleeve shirt and jeans under open black robes.

I frowned, was my hair getting longer? I felt the edges just longer than usual, like after I had spent time training in the precipice world, then made my way down to breakfast.

When I swept down the stairs a tingling feeling creeped down my neck, and I glared accusingly at the open window next to me.

I made it to the Great Hall without encountering many people, as most of them had already arrived, but some second year Hufflepuffs stopped and giggled at me as I passed.

Reaching the Gryffindor table I dropped across from Rukia and next to Hermione, who didn't spare me a glance being too immersed in her conversation with Harry and Ron.

"Itedekimasu," I chanted after I had placed food from the large buffet onto my china plate.

"Took your time, didn't you?" Rukia asked, looking up. I would've replied, but she burst out laughing.

"What?" I muttered indignantly, she was attracting attention from the others.

Rukia calmed down then spoke again. "You're so clueless Kurosaki." Before I could've made any noise she whisked off in the direction of the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables. She muttered something to the icy haired taicho, who then murmered something to Uryu next to him. They both got up and stared at me for a couple of seconds, then their expressions morphed into identical smirks.

_What was going on? Those two _never_ smile in any shape or form!_ Wanting to understand what was going on with me, I turned to Hermione (who was talking about Herbology) and grunted, "Oi, is there anything going on I should know about?"

A brief look of terror flitted across her face, but then it changed unto confusion. She replied, "No, but what's up with your hair?" Bushy was staring fixedly behind me.

"Nothing-" I started, then quickly grabbed a fistfull of my hair when it _swept the ground._ I finally noticed the long bangs cutting across my nose then raised my head towards the sounds of large laughing.

I turned, and my chocolate brown eyes met blue ones as Ron said, "Sorry mate, but your hair looks like a girls."

I simply stared at him as the rest of the foreigners came over. Orihime babbled to me but I payed no mind.

_That candy those twins gave me! _ I realized, clenching and unclenching my jaw.

"Fred! George!" I roared, spotting two tall ginger heads leaving the hall. They spotted me also, flashed identical grins, and dissapeared down the corridor.

"That suits you Kurosaki," Ishida said with an evil smirk.

Innocent Orihime followed up with a bright smile. "Yea! Long hair looks good on you Kurosaki-kun!"

I leveled an irrated glare at the quincy and was about to make a retort when the temperature lowered and Hitsugaya dropped in. "Relax, we can't have you idiots blowing up over some little prank." said person snorted.

"I'll get them," I growled dangerously. "I'll get those red headed bakas back for this."

* * *

**A/N Im not dead? I have an excuse for the summer ( 6 weeks of college, 2 weeks of camping) and maybe an excuse for the rest (school) but I really just was lazy. Im EXTREMLEY sorry about that. OTL I hope you can forgive me. So! The results of my question about whether or not the Golden Trio should be friends or suspicous ended up in suspicous! Congratz! Now, I have another question.  
**

**Should Shirosaki and Kurosaki be partners or that whole 'ill take over your body' thing?**

**P.S. I only use Prussia as a model for Shiro's LAUGH, not his whole personality, so really stop pointing it out!**


End file.
